Peggy Poulson Napurrurla

A firm believer in traditional law and an upholder of traditional values Peggy Poulson Napurrurla is a high initiate of the Warlpiri language group and holds a senior position in all ceremonies. One of the early women painters, her works about women’s ceremonial life in traditional Warlpiri society helped establish Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association in the mid 80’s.

Peggy’s birthplace is Vaughan Springs, known to the Warlpiri language group as Pikilyi circa 1927. It is west of Yuendumu, approximately 350 km north west of Alice Springs. As a young girl Peggy walked around this country to Mt Renne, Mikantji and her grandfather’s country, Mt Singleton ( Warpurtarli ). She and her family would hunt kangaroo and goanna and collect all different bush foods

In Yuendumu Peggy worked for the Baptist Missionary, Mrs Fleming who she said encouraged Aboriginal people to keep their culture strong and didn’t interfere with ceremonial life. It was during the period with Mrs Fleming that Peggy developed a strong bond with Rosie Fleming Nangala. This was to become a lifelong friendship. When Peggy was widowed the two women have become virtually inseparable with Peggy living with Rosie in Alice Springs over a period of four years.

Peggy then returned to her homeland of Nyrripi , an outstation near Yuendumu. A firm believer in traditional law and an upholder of traditional values Napurrurla is a high initiate of the Warlpiri language group and holds a senior position in all ceremonies. One of the early women painters, her works about women’s ceremonial life in traditional Warlpiri society helped establish Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association in the mid 80’s.

Peggy has many relatives at Yuendumu who also paint, including her sisters, Maggie and Clarise Poulson. In 1988 she was one of six Warlpiri women artists commissioned by the South Australian Museum to paint an external mural at the Museum.

The distinctive rendition of her inherited totems trace the journeys of her dreaming ancestors which include bush potato, bush seed, Patanjarnngi (Parakelia seed), Ngalajiyi (bush carrot), Janganpa (possum) and water.