Beyond Mina Mina - Bilby Dreaming (My Father's Country), 2006 by Dorothy Napangardi 244x168cm Cat 9702DN

My painting is about my country, my father, my aunties, their aunties.

My father walked from Mina Mina through sandhill country to Pirlinyanu — my daughter Julie Nangala's country from her father's side. There is good water there. It never dries up. You got to know and care for country.

This journey made to now from the beginning …long long time …is what I sing and what I paint.

There are many songs that all us that share this country have — my sisters — all us Napangardi dance this country with our father's sisters, Napanangka.

I love to go hunting — walking my country — looking, listening — this makes me happy to paint.

Sitting down painting and singing, remembering — this brings me close to country. I am always thinking about painting.

I am happy that people like my work.

Dorothy Napangardi

‘ Beyond Mina Mina ’ refers to the claypans west of Mina Mina, Dorothy’s actual conception site, the dreaming of which was passed onto Dorothy by her father, Paddy Lewis, during the journey they shared back to their ancestral lands. As they were unable to reach this particular site in person, Paddy passed this dreaming onto his daughter through painting it on canvas for her. This site is especially connected to the Bilby.