Irene Gorey Nampitjinpa
Irene is a Luritja woman, born in Alice Springs in the 1970s. Her family hail from Mt Liebig and Papunya. She had a traditional upbringing, growing up around Mt Liebig and then moving to Alice Springs as a teenager with her family in 1986. She painted with her cousins, the Possum sisters for a while. Irene loves the Inma (ceremony) which includes body paint, singing and dancing and being together and celebrating ith family. This connection to family and country is what inspires her painting.
Her sisters always encouraged her to paint when she was younger. Now she likes to sing while she works, which is quite a sight to see and a beautiful experience. Irene’s expression and movement is incredible. Her love of laughter and storytelling makes her popular with her community.
Irene likes to paint bush tucker. She fondly recalls being taken out by the old ladies, who would teach the younger girls and show them how to hunt. She likes to paint bush tucker and her work features wangki (bush tomato), yalka (bush onion), tjupi (bush onion) and maku (witchetty grubs) best eaten straight from the fire.