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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Betsy Napangardi Lewis

2007
Greg Weight

inkjet print on cotton rag paper, edition A/P (image: 45.0 cm x 36.2 cm, sheet: 59.4 cm x 42.0 cm)

Betsy Napangardi Lewis (c. 1940–2008) was born at Kunajarryi, west of Yuendumu and became a noted Warlpiri artist across the course of her career. As a child, Napangardi Lewis moved to Mount Doreen Station and attended the Yuendumu School. She lived in Yuendumu for the rest of her life, splitting her time between there and the neighbouring community of Nyirripi. Known to be a strong woman who possessed a confrontational nature, Napangardi Lewis was also said to have been a caring and happy person. She began painting in the 1990s and in 1999 transitioned to painting full-time for Warlukurlangu Artists, an arts centre based in Yuendumu. A prolific artist and a hard worker, Napangardi Lewis would paint at the art centre each day, developing her unique style and experimenting with new techniques. Her main dreaming was Mina Mina, which was the focus of much of her work that featured movement through abstraction and colour. During her career Napangardi Lewis exhibited extensively in group exhibitions across Australia.

From 2006 to 2010, Greg Weight travelled extensively through Central Australia meeting and photographing contemporary Pintupi and Warlpiri artists. This photograph of Napangardi Lewis is one of the portraits included in his resulting book Artists of the Western Desert (2011).

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2020. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Gregory Weight/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Greg Weight (age 61 in 2007)

Betsy Napangardi Lewis (age 67 in 2007)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Patrick Corrigan AM (130 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency