Kitty Napanangka Simon employed optic whites and an array of pastels to capture the feeling and colour of the desert flowers, and its natural features surrounding the salt plains of Mina Mina, a salt lake 600 kilometers to the south of Lajamanu. ‘Mina Mina’ is a women’s Dreaming site that is sacred for Warlpiri women of the Napangardi and Namanangka skin groups. It is the subject of many of Simon’s paintings. The Dreaming describes a creation story in which women of all ages sing and dance day and night, bringing life to everything from rain clouds, waterholes to plant life and animals. Simon’s early experiences as a traditional desert walker, combined with her knowledge of Walpiri culture, was the magic combination that defined her style and her masterful use of colour.
Simon passed away in the summer of 2024.