288-25 – Nakarra Nakarra – MELISSA SUNFLY

Artist : MELISSA SUNFLY
Title : Nakarra Nakarra
Size/Medium : 914 x 610mm: acrylic on canvas Painting

Biography

Melissa is a young and thoughtful artist deeply committed to preserving and continuing her cultural heritage. Her mother’s Country is Sturt Creek, and her father’s is Lake Mackay. She was raised in Yagga Yagga by her grandmother, the respected artist Bai Bai Napangarti, who introduced her to the southern lands of Mintirr, Ngantalara, Mangkayi, and Tjirrirbarri.

During her childhood, Melissa learned traditional dances, how to locate precious water sources, and the knowledge needed to hunt and gather bush food. From the age of six to thirteen, she lived in Balgo to attend school, before settling in Billiluna, a neighbouring community, alongside Elizabeth Nyumi, a close friend of her grandmother.

Now based again in Balgo, Melissa lives with her son, and together they work as Rangers, caring for and protecting their Native Title lands. Her paintings are deeply inspired by the ancestral stories passed down from her grandparents. With determination, she is learning the intricate song cycles of her people, navigating the difficulty of remembering and reproducing their precise sounds. Her works reflect this devotion and her deep connection to the Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) she has inherited.

About this painting

This painting tells the story of the Seven Sisters, shown dancing, singing, gathering bush food, and hunting together. It depicts a sacred women’s site located south of Balgo—a place where women gather for lore business.

Here, important ceremonies are held to initiate young girls into womanhood, through traditional body painting and ritual. Melissa shares:
“From a little girl I saw this—my grandmother was a senior lore woman.”

The work is rich with memory and meaning, connecting the rhythms of daily life with the sacred cycles of knowledge, womanhood, and Country.