Wentja Morgan Napaltjarri

Wentja Napaltjarri was born at Malparinga, and grew up west of Kintore in the Gibson Desert. She began painting for Watiyawanu Artists toward the end of the 1990s. The daughter of Shorty Lungkarta Tjungurrayi, Wentja paints her father's Blue Tongue Lizard Dreaming as well as Water Dreaming stories, Sandhills, rockholes, and other landmarks associated with water and Desert Oak trees. In contrast to her father's work, Wentja's paintings are less geometric, with a softening of iconography through interlacing with intricate finely dotted patterning. This soft dotting technique is characteristic of many of the Mount Liebig women artists. Wentja was a finalist in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2002.