Isobel Gorey Nambajimba was born in Laramba in 1958 and is a founding member artist and Director of Papunya Tjupi where she has been practicing since 2006. She paints Kapi Tjukurrpa (Water Dreaming) at the site of Wantupunyu, her father and grandfather’s country, an important site for the regeneration of nature.

Through many years of experimentation Isobel has arrived at her current distinctive style which features intricate patterned line work, with Isobel often employing light colours in her designs, allowing for glimpses of the darker backgrounds to be visible. Isobel’s use of negative space and reduced colour palette create rhythmic detailed works depicting clouds, rain drops, lightning, rainbows, puddles and bush flowers. Isobel is a leader in the women’s song and dance and sees her paintings as vehicles to pass down the stories of country onto her children and the future generations, saying “I paint for the future of my culture and for the family”. She is currently also employed by Waltja, a community organisation which looks after Aboriginal families in desert communities, and a board member of Desart, the peak body supporting the art centres of Central Australia.

Isobel’s works are held in the Artbank Collection, University of Western Sydney Collection and Knoblauch Collection, Switzerland.