Minyma Tingari 2000 (41x41cm) by Barbara Reid 6861BR

Minyma Tingari, 2000 – Barbara Napangarti Reid

Barbara Napangarti Reid’s Minyma Tingari, 2000 is a profound visual representation of women’s ceremonies held in the sandhill country of Tjukurla, part of the vast Gibson Desert. As a traditional custodian of this land, Barbara captures its sacred landscapes with intricate iconography. The stratified, elongated arcs symbolise rocky outcrops, while the smaller arcs depict the tali (sandhills), echoing the body paint designs worn by women during ceremonial rites.

Rendered in rich ochre red/brown and white on Belgian linen, this 41x41 cm painting embodies the spiritual connection between women and Country, emphasizing the enduring legacy of the Minyma Tingari (Tingari Women). The Tingari Cycle is a series of sacred Dreaming narratives, where Tingari ancestors traveled across the land, performing rituals that shaped its natural features. Their journeys—followed by novices and Tingari women—are preserved in sacred song cycles, which continue to educate post-initiatory youths and inform cultural practices today.

Barbara Napangarti Reid’s work is widely recognised, with her paintings held in major National Collections across Australia. She has exhibited extensively and was a finalist in the prestigious 17th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA), solidifying her influence within the contemporary Indigenous art movement.

Curators Note: This painting has a sister painting 6860BR that can be hung beautifully together as a diptych