Nakita Inkamala b. 2000

Nakita Inkalama was born in 2000 and grew up between the communities of Ntaria (Hermannsburg) on Arrernte country and Ampilawatja on Alyawarre country, in the expansive homelands region of Utopia, north-east of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Nakita comes from two strong artistic families from the Central desert region. Her mother, Joycie Morton Petyarre, and grandmother, Betty Pula Morton, are both recognised senior artists from Ampilawatja.

Nakita was taught to paint by her mother and grandmother, who are both known for their colourful depictions of their ancestral country in Utopia. Nakita learned many aspects of her traditional life from the women in her family – hunting, collecting bush tucker, and the stories, law and Dreamings of her country. She also learned bush medicine, which is often the subject of her brightly coloured canvases. Bush medicine is a deeply significant part of life for Aboriginal people of the arid desert regions. There are many ways that bush medicine can be prepared and used to treat a variety of ailments – the leaves are often dried, crushed into powder and mixed with animal fats or oils to make a topical balm, or boiled in water so the healing vapours can be inhaled. She also depicts arnwengerrp in her paintings, the nomadic bush turkey (Australian bustard), which has cultural significance in the Sandover region.

Surrounded by the deep cultural knowledge and artmaking practices of her family members, Nakita has created a vibrant and youthful style that is all her own. Nakita has been painting for galleries since 2017, and at her young age has a very promising career ahead of her.