Nampintjin (Molly) Miller

Molly Nampitjin Miller was born in the bush around 1948 at Wakapulkatjara. She moved to Warburton Mission when she was a girl, living in a dormitory with a group of other girls while the rest of her family stayed in the nearby camp. Later she married and moved with her husband to Amata, where she had five children. Molly was a strong presence as co-founding director for Ninuku Arts, as well as a respected elder within the Kalka community. She came from a strong artistic family; her sisters are Dr Pantjiti Mary McLean and Elaine Lane from Blackstone and her brother is fellow Ninuku artist, Jimmy Donegan (Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award Winner, 2010). Molly used traditional iconography to create her depictions of both sacred sites and the places where she spent time as a child. She painted in a considered manner, placing the dots on her canvas with precision and a steady hand. Molly works in layers, often creating colour shifts by dipping her brush or stick into two paint pots before touching the surface. This adds richness to her compositions and calmly and peacefully invites the viewer into her painting. Nampitjin passed away on April 1st 2022 in Mutijulu