Biddy White Napaltjarri

Biddy is a Warlpiri speaker who was born at Yuendumu in the Western Desert of Central
Australia circa 1950. Biddy spends most of her time at the township of Yuendumu where she
often paints for Warlukurlangu Artists Association. She is a relatively unknown artist whose
work was exhibited at the 2005 Desert Mob Show at Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs. She
travels often to Willowra community where her sister and fellow artist, Ruby Ross resides.

When questioned about the context of her paintings, Biddy seems reluctant to give too much
away, which is not uncommon for many of the artists we represent. Quite often the
information or story contained within a painting is for sharing with initiates only. In traditional
aboriginal culture, each person passes through a series of initiations in their lifetime, with
each stage meaning greater access to knowledge of dreaming stories and ceremonies.
Hence, even an uninitiated aboriginal person will not be told ‘the full story’. What we do know
about Biddy’s work is that the consistent theme is ‘Meeting Place’ and presents an aerial
depiction of waking paths or ‘tracking lines’ through the country around Yuendumu.

One can assume that these paths are not necessarily physical in nature but denote a
dreaming song or ‘story’ that runs through the land and acts as a boundary and or walking
route that is recognised as a significant part of the landscape from which indigenous people
have subsisted for countless years. Where these lines intersect is called ‘Meeting Place’ in
English and may represent a special place or a sacred site.