NICOLE RUPERT

Language: Pitjantjatjara  

Community: Pukatja, APY Lands, SA

Art Centre: Ernabella Arts

Nicole comes from a long line of women artists working at Ernabella Arts. Her grandmother is Nura Rupert (dec) and her mother is Malpiya Davey. Nura learnt rug weaving in the early days of the Ernabella craft room and progressed to ceramics, punu (wood carving) and painting.

Nicole is inspired by her grandmother’s quirky and distinct imagery. Nicole has adapted Nura’s style and she continues the artistic tradition by creating fun and playful designs of tjitji (children) and papa (camp dogs) on both ceramics and canvas.

In 2020 Nicole was approached by SBS to use her papa paintings for the rebranding of Jarjums, programming dedicated to First Nations children with content from Australia and around the world. Her cheeky little papa are still running wild across the country on NITV.

Nicole has recently started hand making small ceramic animals, focusing on her favourite papa, as well as cats, birds and the lesser-known Ernabella penguin.

Artwork Title: Nicole's Papa Tjuta Tjukurpa (Camp Dog Story)

Artwork Story: Nicole’s grandmother, Nura Rupert, was a highly regarded Ernabella artist who passed away in 2016. Nura had a great sense of humour and wild imagination, and her artistic style was uniquely quirky. Nicole is inspired by her grandmother’s style and wants to keep her very original interpretation of the world alive in her own artworks.

One of Nura's favourite stories to paint was about all the camp dogs in Ernabella. ‘Papa tjuta ngura uwankara’ she used to say ‘there are many dogs everywhere!’. Some people have as many as ten dogs each as companions.

Nicole is the only Ernabella artist making figurative pieces. She has taught herself how to make a wide variety of these little animals including papa (dog), tjulpu (bird), mulku (cat), wadu (wombat) and the lesser known Ernabella penguin.