Kathleen Jahlili Sambo Nangari

Kathleen Jahlili Sambo Nangari is a Mudburra/Gurindji artist, and Founding Director of Karungkarni Art. In 1941, Kathleen was born in the bush near Montijinni station in Mudpurra Country north of Kalkarindji. Kathleen grew up learning traditional ways as her parents lived a traditional lifestyle collecting bush food and hunting for goanna, fish and kangaroo. One of her strongest childhood memories was being taken under water by a karukany (mermaid) while swimming at Jamparta (Lonely Springs). Fortunately, her family rescued her. As a young woman, Kathleen worked on Montijinni station where she met her husband and had three children. Kathleen has lived in Daguragu since the Gurindji Wave Hill Walk-Off. Kathleen enjoys painting and carves traditional artefacts including kawarla (coolamon), kurturu (nullanulla) and kilkilpkaji (clap sticks). Kathleen loves to teach the young women and girls traditional Gurindji wajarra (corroboree) and yawulyu (secert women’s ceremony). She encouraged her current husband, Timmy Vincent, to join her daily in the Art Centre when he retired from working as a stockman in 2015.