Debra Nangala McDonald b. 1963

Debra Nangala McDonald was born at Warumpi (Papunya), some 240km west of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Debra is the granddaughter of Shorty Lungkata Tjungurayyi (dec.), an esteemed artist and one of the founding members of Papunya Tula Artists, and her mother is Martha McDonald, a respected Papunya Tjupi artist. Her husband, Rodney Tolson Tjupurrula, is the son of Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula, who was also a major figure in the Papunya Tula art movement and the longest-serving chairman of the co-operative.

Debra’s paintings are reflective of her deep cultural knowledge - she has permission to paint a number of Dreaming stories, a testimony to her senior standing within her community. Debra paints stories that are significant to ceremonial sites and the country surrounding Karrkurutinyja (Lake Macdonald) and the community of Kintore that straddle the border of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The stories that Debra paints include a Women’s Dreaming story, Uwalki Watiya Tjuta (Acacia/Mulga Tree), and her grandfather's Dreaming, Goanna Love Story.

Debra typically paints in a reduced palette, but it is her understanding and use of form that make her paintings unique and striking. The salient shapes are made all the more powerful by the negative space that she leaves unpainted around them. Debra is an established artist who has forged a very successful career and continues to push herself creatively in her art practice. Debra is also very proud of the fact that Eddie Betts, the legendary AFL player, is her friend and collector.