Peggy Napangardi Jones or Peggy Jones (1951 – 20 August 2014) was a Warlpiri/ Warumungu woman born at Phillip Creek Station near Tennant Creek. [1] She was a significant Australian Aboriginal artist who had 10 solo shows and approximately 50 group exhibitions. She was also selected in the Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards [2] and acquired by many national and international collections. [3] [4]
Jones was born at Phillip Creek Station to a Warlpiri mother and a Warumungu father and, from them, she inherited dreamtime stories and laws; these form her inspiration to paint. [1] In her early years her family walked from Phillip Creek Station to Brunchilly Station, where her mother worked as a servant and her father was mostly absent, and, for most of her early life, they travelled between here and Banka Banka Station. This continued until, as a young woman, the family travelled to Alekerenge (also known as Ali Curung) where she met and married a Warumungu man. Following their marriage, in 1970, the couple moved to Tennant Creek, where they lived at village camp, where their 3 children (Wayne, Jessica and Joshua) were born. [5] [6]
Jones was introduced to acrylic painting on canvas in 1996 at a Julalikara CDEP Women's Arts and Craft program at the 'Pink Palace' (Julalikari Arts) in Tennant Creek. [1] Her first paintings were in the classic 'dot and circle' style [3] and relate strongly to her country; soakages, wells, bush tucker, animals and birds. Jones works are highly coloured and have ostensibly loose compositions but their colours and strengths make them strong, fresh and vibrant. [7]
Throughout her career Jones had various residencies at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and Northern Territory University, now Charles Darwin University [3] and, at these, she learnt to work with a variety of mediums including silk painting, ceramics and lino block printing. [7]
Jones work is held in many important collections and major institutions including:
Jones, who called herself "the artist of all time", [3] was represented by the Alcaston Gallery in Melbourne throughout her career [8] until her retirement in 2011. [1]
Jones died on 20 August 2014. [9]