This collection brings together works by senior and emerging artists, reflecting the intergenerational sharing of knowledge across NPY communities from kami (grandmothers), ngunytju (mothers), untal(pa) (daughters), kangkuru (sisters) and kuntili (aunties).

For NPY women, weaving is deeply connected to time spent together out bush - collecting tjanpi (native desert grasses), hunting, visiting Country and sharing stories and skills. These works celebrate not only individual expression, but the strength of working together, learning from one another, and keeping connections strong.

About the artist:

Maimie is a Ngaanyatjarra artist from Papulankutja (Blackstone) in Western Australia, where she has lived and worked for many years as a respected community leader, advocate, and cultural knowledge holder.

She grew up in the Blackstone area, spending much of her childhood at Benson camp with Kanytjupayi Benson (dec). As a Mitchell, her Country lies north of Blackstone along the Walu road - an area rich with stories and significant cultural sites that continue to inform her life and practice.

Maimie is both a painter and a Tjanpi artist, drawing on deep cultural knowledge and lived experience. Her work reflects strong connections to Country, community, and the intergenerational sharing of stories and skills. She has previously served as Chairperson of Papulankutja Artists and continues to support the arts alongside her broader community commitments.

Alongside her artistic practice, Maimie has an extensive career in health, education, and community services across the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. She has worked as a nurse in Perth, a health worker in Papulankutja and Tjukurla, and an education officer, and has long been employed by Ngaanyatjarra Health as a Mental Health Worker. A trained Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid presenter, she is a passionate advocate for improving awareness, services, and support for Yarnangu (Aboriginal people) living in remote communities.

Maimie is widely recognised for her leadership and currently serves as a director of the NPY Women’s Council, having first been elected in 2015. She has also held roles with Ngaanyatjarra Council, the Ngaanyatjarra Health Advisory Committee, Ngaanyatjarra Land Management Committee, and the BHP Advisory Committee. She is a valued member of the Uti Kulintjaku initiative, supporting mental health and wellbeing across the region, and is well known for her work as a translator and cultural advisor.

A talented singer with the Papulankutja Church Choir, Maimie continues to balance her many roles with her creative practice, maintaining a strong commitment to culture, community, and storytelling through art.

Tjanpi Desert Weavers (Tjanpi meaning ‘wild grass’) is an award-winning, Indigenous governed and directed social enterprise of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council (NPYWC). Tjanpi empowers over 400 women across a 350 000 square km area of the tri-state region of NT, SA and WA to earn an income and remain in their communities on Country.