Patricia Tunkin Baker 1981-2026

Patricia (Kani) Tunkin Baker was born in 1981 in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), and grew up 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 came from 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 sadly passed away in early 2026 after a lengthy battle with cancer. 

Patricia and her sister, acclaimed artist 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 and is 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's paintings represent 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 was an acclaimed artist in her own right, and travelled and exhibited in Australia as well as in Europe and the USA. Patricia's 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. Patricia is remembered lovingly by her family members and her two children.