Debra McDonald Nangala / Watiya Tjuta (DN43)

Debra McDonald Nangala in a Pintubi artist, born in 1963 at Papunya Camp, NT.

Debra comes from a long line of well-known Indigenous artists. She is the granddaughter of a founding member of the famous Papunya painting group, Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi (c.1920-1987), from Lake MacDonald in the Gibson Desert. In 1948 Shorty moved to Haasts Bluff and then Papunya where he stayed until his death in 1987 however he passed on the stories of his country of Lake MacDonald to Debra. Debra’s mother, Martha MacDonald was also an accomplished artist and her uncle is Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, AO, one of Australia’s most renowned painters.

Debra was married to the nephew of Turkey Tolson and son of the great female artist Mitjili Napurrula and it was Mitjili who would encourage a young Debra to paint. After Mitjili’s passing, Debra became custodian of the dreaming story of the Watiya Tjuta which features regularly in her artworks.

Debra’s paintings have been documented in Geoffrey & James Bardon’s book “Papunya A Place Made After the Story. The Beginning of the Western Desert Painting Movement”.

Debra spent many years painting beside her famous mother in law, Mitjili Napurrula.

This painting depicts significant elements referring to Uwalki country – Mitjili’s homeland around Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff) west of Alice Springs in Central Australia.

The wood from the watiya tjuta (desert oak) was used to hand carve spears, artefacts and ceremonial objects associated with men’s business.

Here, Debra has painted the leaves of this important tree.