Nancy Nyanjilpayi Chapman

Born circa 1941, Nancy Nyanjilpayi Chapman (dec.) and her sisters, Martu women and fellow senior artists Mulyatingki Marney, May Chapman and Marjorie Yates (dec.), walked across their Country between the communities of Punmu and Kunawarritji. As young girls, the sisters were left to survive alone in the desert after both their parents died. The sisters continued their pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) existence for many years, hunting and living off the land.

Chapman eventually settled at the Jigalong mission where she worked for some time. She later married fellow artist Minyawe Miller, the couple working on various pastoral stations while raising their children. In 1982, during the ‘return to Country’ movement, they moved to the newly established community of Punmu, where Chapman lived with her husband as respected elders until her death in 2024.

Chapman was a prolific painter of the Country around Punmu and the mid-sections of the Canning Stock Route. Known for her exquisitely fine dot work, Chapman’s paintings are held in the collections of major institutions including the National Gallery of Victoria.