Doreen Dickson Nakamarra b. 1964

Doreen Dickson Nakamarra is a senior artist from the remote community of Willowra in the Northern Territory, some 340km north-east of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Doreen lives between Willowra, Mparntwe and Yuendumu, where some of her family members live. She comes from a family that is well-known for their artistic merits, including her mother, Nora Long Napanangka, and her sister Janet Long Nakamarra.

Doreen was raised in her ancestral country and grew up immersed in the culture and traditions of her people. Keeping to the Indigenous traditions of the passing-on of knowledge, Doreen paints stories that have been passed down through generations for thousands of years. The stories that Doreen paints are particularly significant to the Warlpiri people. She uses traditional iconography while being bold in her artistic expression, particularly with her Yawulyu (women’s ceremony) designs. She also frequently paints Bush Onion and Bush Damper Seed stories, mapping the significant features of the land, the water sources and the nutritious or medicinal native plants that grow around them.

Doreen has impressive range as a painter, alternating between monochromatic and vibrant colour palettes and a variety of painting and dotting technique, depending on the story she paints. Doreen is a strong and proud Warlpiri woman and a valued member of her community.