Rachel Jurra Napaltjarri

Rachel Jurra Napaltjarri (sometimes spelled Rachel Napaljarri Jurrah) was born near Jila Well in the Western Desert of Central Australia. A proud Warlpiri artist, Rachel began painting in 1985, learning from her cousin Eunice Napangardi, a highly respected artist. She also attended painting classes at the Institute of Aboriginal Development in Alice Springs. Her Jukurrpa (Dreaming totems) include the Green Parrot, Yarla, Kangaroo, and Karntakalungu (women’s dreaming).

Rachel was married to the late Isaac Yama, a well-known musician. Although she spent her younger years in Yuendumu, she had lived in Hidden Valley, a town camp on the edge of Alice Springs, since the early 1980s. There, she worked alongside other painters like Rosie Fleming Nangala and Polly Napangardi Watson.

Rachel was known for her lively personality and her love of going outback for bush tucker with her close friend Dorothy Napangardi. While Rachel was the lively and loud one, Dorothy was more quiet and reserved, and their personalities complemented each other perfectly.

In Alice Springs, Rachel painted for the government gallery, The Centre for Aboriginal Artists, until it closed in 1990. She then painted for Jukurrpa Artists Cooperative until its closure in 2004, and later for Gallery Gondwana Studio, alongside her close friends Dorothy Napangardi and Polly Napangardi.

Rachel Napaltjarri was born in 1961 near Jila Well in the Western Desert of Central Australia. She loved hunting and dancing, and her work captures the essence of her cultural heritage. Her Dreaming totems include the Green Parrot, Pirki (Cave), Yarla, and Kangaroo.

Rachel passed away in April 2016, but her paintings, known for their rich storytelling and intricate depictions of Dreaming stories, ensure that her legacy endures.