Isobel Gorey Nampitjinpa was born at Laramba, Northern Territory, in 1958. Her father was Jim Gorey Tjangala, a Warlpiri/Amnatyerre man from Ti Tree who worked as a stockman on Narwietooma station. Her mother Gloria Gorey Nungurrayi was an Arrente woman from Hermannsburg. When Gorey was eight years old her family moved to Papunya where she attended Papunya School. Her mother worked in the Papunya pre-school. Later Gorey boarded at Yirara College in Alice Springs. She returned to Papunya where she married her first husband, Neil Brown. Together they had four children: Grant, Janet, Jeanita and Florence. After Neil’s death, Gorey married Keith Jarra. They had no children and later separated.
Gorey has worked for the Papunya Clinic as a Health Worker and for World Vision from 1995-99. She taught herself to paint, doing her first paintings after joining as a founding member of Papunya Tjupi Arts in 2006. She paints Water Dreamings for Watulpunyu and Bush Onion for Kerrinyarra, both her father’s country. She said, “I paint for the future of my culture and for the family” (Gorey 2009, pers.comm.).
- Writers:
- Papunya Tjupi Arts
- Date written:
- 2009
- Last updated:
- 2011
