Patricia Tunkin Baker b. 1981

Patricia (Kani) Tunkin Baker was born in 1981 in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), and lives in the remote community of Kanpi in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, nestled at the base of the Mann Ranges close to the border of the Northern Territory and South Australia. Patricia is a member of one of the most notable artistic families of Aboriginal art, the Baker family. Patricia was taught to paint by her grandfather, the celebrated Jimmy Baker, a senior artist and instigator in the creation of the APY Lands art movement. His daughter, and Patricia’s mother, is Kay Baker - a renowned artist in her own right, and a major instigator in the establishment of the Tjunku Palya Art Centre in Kaltjiti.

Patricia and her sister, the talented Teresa Baker, learned the associated Tjukurrpa (Dreamings) of their country from their elders. Patricia’s paintings depict the stories that have been passed down to her, particularly the Minyma Malilu story, that tells of an ancestral spiritual woman. There is a significant site associated with this story, a cave situated near Kanpi. It is a deeply spiritual place for Aṉangu women like Patricia, believed to have healing powers. Inma (ceremony) to honour Malilu's spirit is still performed there today. Like her sister and mother before her, Patricia depicts her physical and spiritual ancestral country from a topographic point of view, illustrating the intersecting tunnels of Malilu's cave and aspects of the story. 

Patricia is an acclaimed artist in her own right, and has travelled and exhibited in Australia as well as in Europe and the USA. Her painting style has developed significantly in recent years, and her work is now favoured for her fine dotting technique, incorporating delicate details between filled-in roundels, and varying the concentration of dots to create captivating and cohesive pieces.