Margaret Baragurra

Margaret Baraburra is renowned for her unique artistic style, which combines traditional designs from the Great Sandy Desert with the vibrant colours of the saltwater landscape of the Kimberley. Her work has received critical acclaim and has been widely exhibited, evoking powerful memories of her homeland, especially during the wet season.

Margaret Baraburra was born around 1939 in Kalpirti, located in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. She spent her early years traveling across the desert region, moving from waterholes to seasonal wetlands. In the early 1970s, a sustained drought forced her people, the Yulparija, to leave their traditional country and settle in the coastal town of Bidyadanga (formerly known as La Grange Mission) on the Kimberley coast, about 250 km south of Broome.

It was in Bidyadanga in 2003 that Margaret began painting. Her artwork is celebrated for its fusion of traditional desert designs with the dynamic colours of the coastal landscape. This combination has brought her widespread recognition and critical praise.

In some of her works, Margaret evokes powerful memories of her country during the wet season. She reflects on her connection to the land:

"My country Kampagee, we been walking around, I been born there. I am little one walking around Nanarra. Lots of jila, warla (mud flat). Old people country, blood country, sad one you know. He been lost there, my uncle, everyone been lost there, my grandfather too."

One of her notable works on Kampagee features a dark background with electric green dotting outlined in crimson red. This striking piece has been translated into a high-end fashionable wearable scarf, showcasing the timeless beauty of her art.

Collections include NGA (National Gallery of Australia), Notre Dame University Collection amongst many others.

She is represented by Short St Gallery.