Dorothy is a Walpiri woman whose people came from a significant sacred site called " Mina Mina " near Lake MacKay in the Tanami Desert, Nth of Yuendumu, in the Northern Territory.

As with all aboriginal people born in the bush in their traditional way, there is uncertainty to their exact year of birth, but it is approximated that Dorothy was born in the Early 1950's. She was daughter to Jeannie Lewis Napururrla and Paddy Lewis Japanangka.

Dorothy began painting in 1987 and initially painted "Mukaki", Bush or Wild Plum Dreaming in vibrant colours. She no longer paints Bush Plum Dreaming, and has focused on painting her country, "Mina Mina", where she uses a more subdued palette leaning more towards theimpact of contrasts to clarify and draw attention to her elaborate interlocking of patterns, yet without any traditional iconography from her family lines. Her unique depictions of ancient descriptions of her homeland, has won her acclaim as a fine artist of distinction, in a genre of cutting edge Aboriginal artists. Her works have been featured in solo and combined exhibitions both in Australia and throughout Europe and the Unites States.

Sadly Dorothy passed away on the 1st June 2013

Exhibitions :

~ 1991 - 8th National Aboriginal Art Award, Darwin, N.T.

~ 1998 - "Walpiri Women", Gallery Gonwanda, Alice Springs, N.T.

~ 1998 – "Napangardi Dreaming – Ceremony & Song", Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW.

~ 1998 – N.T Art Award, Alice Springs, N.T.

~ 1998 - 15th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Art Award, Australia.

~ 1999 – "Treading Softly", Chapman Gallery, Canberra, A.C.T.

~ 1999 – "Painting The Desert", Alliance Francaise de Canberra and French Embassy, Canberra, A.C.T.

~ 1999 – "Recent works by Dororthy Napangardi & Walala Tjapaltjarri", Vivian Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, Vic.

~ 1999 – "Recent works by Dorothy Napangardi", Chapman Gallery, A.C.T.

~ 1999 – "The Redlands Westpac Art Prize", Mosman Art Gallery, N.S.W.

~ 1999 – "My Country – Journey of our Ancestors", Ancient Earth Indiginous Art, Cairns, Qld.

~ Dec, 2002 – Mar, 2003 – "Dancing Up Country: the work of Dorothy Napangardi",

2004 Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, N.S.W.

April 2013 Red Desert Gallery Eumundi Qld

Collections :

~ National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

~ Museum & Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin, N.T.

~ Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany.

~ The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica ,U.S.A.

~ The Kaplan – Levi Collection, Seattle, U.S.A.

~ The Vroom Collection, The Netherlands.

~ The Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth, W.A.

~ The Erskine Collection, N.S.W.

~ The Australian Council Collection, Sydney, N.S.W.

~ The National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.

~ The Holmesglen Institute of Tafe Collection, Melbourne, Vic.

Awards :

~ 1991 – Best Painting in European Media,

' ~1991 – 8th National Aboriginal Art Award, Darwin.

~ 1998 – Northern Territory Art Award, Alice Springs, N.T.

~ 1998 – 15th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award, Darwin,N.T.

~ 1999 – "Highly Commended", 16th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award, N.T.

~ 1999 – The Redlands Westpac Art Prize, N.S.W.

~ 2001 – "First Prize", 18th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award.

~ 2002 – 'Australia's 50 Most Collectable Artists.' Australian Art Collector Magazine.