Bai Bai Napangardi

Biography

Bai Bai was the senior Law woman of Balgo and number one song woman.  Her country extends from Mangkayi in the Stansmore Ranges to just south of Yagga Yagga.  Bai Bai has travelled extensively for cultural reasons, including dancing at the Shinju Matsuri Festival in Perth in 1989 and touring to demonstrate traditional sand drawing in 2005. She spent her youth and early adult years living and moving through her family’s land learning traditional law and culture. Bai Bai began to paint in 1986 in Balgo, and since then has introduced her daughters to painting- Pauline Sunfly has become an esteemed painter in her own right. Bai Bai has been involved in several publications including Yarrtji: Six women’s stories from the Great Sandy Desert, 1997, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, which was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s History Awards in 1998. A glass coolamon created by Bai Bai was gifted to the Australian Parliament House as part of the Sorry Day proceedings. Bai Bai was a long serving member of the Kimberley Land Council and a strong practitioner of women’s Law and culture in Balgo. Bai Bai was married to artist Sunfly Tjampitjin (c1916-1996).