Joy Nginana Lyons
Papulankutja / Blackstone, WA
"My mother was born at a Seven Sisters place up Wanarn way [on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands]. Them rocks up there, all white. Red sand and white rocks, that Country. That's why I paint with white, for my mother. She gave me this story and I paint it for her. She was an artist too. Taught me culture, taught me painting. The Seven Sisters is our story."
About the Artist
Joy Nginana Lyons is a Ngaanyatjarra artist living in Papulankutja / Blackstone. Her parents were both Ngaanyatjarra, with her mother born in Wannan and her father in Yanka, north of Papulankutja. Joy and her six siblings were either born in Kalgoorlie, Wingellina/Irrunytju, or Mirlirrtjarra/Warburton.
During her childhood, her family travelled on foot throughout the Ngaanyatjarra and Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands visiting relatives, maintaining cultural obligations and sourcing their food from the bush along the way. They lived for periods of time in different remote communities including Mirlirrtjarra and Blackstone. Joy lives in Blackstone today with her daughter Milliane. She loves going out bush with the rangers and travelling her Country
.
Her mother, Edith Lyons, was a highly regarded painter and she taught Joy and her siblings Ngaanyatjarra heritage, Law and culture. Today, Joy and her sisters are often found painting together at the art centre.
Joy is an exciting emerging artist and her art has been recognised through the 2022 Revealed Exhibition: New and Emerging WA Aboriginal Artists, and as a finalist in the 2022 Telstra NATSIAA.
