Susan Peters Wangamirr Nampitjin is a Walmajarri artist, which means that her country is the Tanami desert of South East Kimberley's.
Susan tells the story of her early life -
"I was born on Argyle station in 1963 near the banks of the Behn River, and I lived there with my family for four years. My family worked as jackaroos, stockmen, camp cooks, yard builders, and fencers. As time passed in 1970 the Ord river scheme came to be, and my family was trucked back to the desert. I was removed from my mother and travelled to Queensland with my father, sister, and carer mother.
I am a descendant of Walmajarri and Ngarti People (Yagga Yagga Way) who hold ancient stories, Waljirri (dreamtime) ceremonies, and oral history of families living around Paruku (Lake Gregory).”
When Susan was 23years old, she decided to return to her ancestral home of WA and lived at Kururrungku near Halls Creek. She lived there for many years and even after returning to Queensland she continued to travel back to her ancestral home regularly with her children to spend time with family, and practice lore and culture. Susan has a deep connection and love for the bush life, observing and collecting bush tucker and bush medicines regularly. She now lives in Halls Creek permanently.
Susan creates artworks inspired by the country where her grandparents were born and grew up. She gained valuable knowledge about traditional lore, culture, and bush medicines from her grandparents, sisters and family members. Susan continues learning about her grandfather's and grandmother's country, ceremonies, and bush medicines.
Of her artwork she says –
“The central focus of my art practice is a personal reflection of family, Country, community, oral histories, survival, and traditional lifestyles (traditional foods, medicines). The diverse countryside, waterways, and sand hills are depicted through my use of colour, texture and mark. My artwork is both traditional and contemporary, drawing on both abstract traditions and traditional symbols, marks and mediums.”
In addition to painting, Susan also creates mixed-media work and printmaking often using other mediums such as ink on fabric, and natural bush materials, such as seeds, pandanus leaves, and the grasses traditionally used to make baskets.
