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Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value

Works Offered at Auction: 356
Sale Rate: 61%
Highest Sale: $110,000 AUD
Median Sale Price: $4,800 AUD

Dorothy Napangardi (c.1950–2013) is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most important contemporary Aboriginal artists. Her paintings are among the most sought-after on the secondary market, particularly the monumental Mina Mina and Salt on Mina Mina compositions created after she won the 2001 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. Today, museum-quality examples commonly realise $40,000–100,000 or more, while smaller and less significant works typically sell in the $5,000–20,000 range.

This page brings together auction records spanning Dorothy Napangardi’s entire painting career, allowing collectors to follow the evolution of both her artistic style and market value. The images trace her progression from the richly coloured Women’s Dreaming paintings of the 1990s, through the groundbreaking geometric grids of the late 1990s, to the restrained black-and-white Mina Mina and Salt on Mina Mina works that established her international reputation. Comparing paintings across different periods, sizes and compositions provides one of the most reliable ways to assess rarity, desirability and value.

According to Art Sales Digest, 364 works by Dorothy Robinson Napangardi have been offered at public auction, with 223selling, representing a 61% sell-through rate. The highest recorded auction price is $129,750 for Karntakurlangu, sold by Sotheby’s in Melbourne in July 2004. Like most Aboriginal artists, however, values vary enormously depending on factors such as date, size, provenance, exhibition history, condition and, most importantly, the quality of the individual painting.

As an Aboriginal art dealer and collector, I have deliberately selected paintings that best demonstrate the range and development of Dorothy Napangardi’s work rather than attempting to illustrate every auction result. This inevitably introduces some bias, as many lower-quality works and paintings that failed to sell are not included. The aim is to create a resource that is useful both for collectors researching values and for those wishing to study the remarkable artistic evolution of one of Australia’s finest contemporary painters.

If you own a Dorothy Napangardi painting and would like to know its approximate value or are considering selling it, please send clear photographs of the front and back, the dimensions and any available provenance or certificates. I am always happy to provide an informal assessment and discuss purchasing exceptional works.

For a detailed biography and examination of Dorithy Napangardi’s painting style please feel free to browse

Dorothy Napangardi: Biography, Painting Style and Importance

Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 1991-1996

Dorothy Napangardi Untitled (Yuparli – Bush Banana) 1991 acrylic on linen depicting the Bush Banana Dreaming with colourful radiating forms.

Untitled (Yuparli – Bush Banana), 1991
Size
151 × 151 cm

Medium
Acrylic on linen

Auction
Art Leven, First Nations & Australian Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 19 May 2026, Lot 60

Provenance
Gallery Gondwana, Northern Territory (Cat. No. 1144DN). Private Collection, New South Wales. 

Price Realised
$23,000 AUD

Dorothy Napangardi Bush Banana 1995 acrylic on canvas depicting three green bush banana plants against a richly coloured Western Desert landscape.

    Bush Banana, 1995
    Size
    79 × 122 cm

    Medium
    Acrylic on canvas

    Auction
    Bonhams & Goodman, Australian, International & Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 30 July 2006, Lot 201

    Price Realised
    $1,400 AUD 

    Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 1997-1999

    Dorothy Napangardi Mina Mina 1997 acrylic on Belgian linen featuring an early black and ochre grid representing the salt pans and ancestral pathways of Mina Mina.

      Mina Mina, 1997
      Size
      120 × 169 cm

      Medium
      Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

      Auction
      Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Fine Art, Sydney, 9 November 2005, Lot 112

      Provenance
      Private Collection, Northern Territory. 

      Price Realised
      $32,000 AUD

      Dorothy Napangardi Women's Dreaming 1998 acrylic on linen featuring an early black and yellow grid representing ancestral pathways across Mina Mina Country.

        Women’s Dreaming, 1998
        Size
        120 × 118 cm

        Medium
        Synthetic polymer paint on linen

        Auction
        Shapiro Auctioneers, Modern + Contemporary Art, Sydney, 10 June 2003, Lot 159

        Provenance
        Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs (Cat. No. DN2851). Private Collection, Sydney. 

        Price Realised
        $29,500 AUD

        Dorothy Napangardi Women's Ceremony 1998 acrylic on canvas featuring two concentric ceremonial designs linked by finely dotted pathways across a red ground.

          Women’s Ceremony, 1998
          Size
          121.5 × 60 cm

          Medium
          Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

          Auction
          Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers, Indigenous Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 5 May 2026, Lot 101

          Provenance
          Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs (Cat. No. DN3095). Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, Melbourne. Ebes Collection, Victoria. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. 

          Price Realised
          $6,000 AUD

          Dorothy Napangardi Women's Dreaming 1998 acrylic on linen featuring an early geometric network of white dotted lines with ochre triangular motifs on a black ground.

            Women’s Dreaming, 1998
            Size
            40 × 40 cm

            Medium
            Acrylic on linen

            Auction
            Leonard Joel, The Alan Boxer Collection of Aboriginal Art, Books & Music, Melbourne, 19 May 2016, Lot 151

            Provenance
            Chapman Gallery, Canberra, 1998.

            Price Realised
            $1,400 AUD 

            Dorothy Napangardi Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa (Women's Dreaming) 1999 acrylic on canvas featuring concentric dotted formations representing the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

              Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming), 1999
              Size
              122 × 170 cm

              Medium
              Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

              Auction
              Lawson~Menzies, Fine Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 31 May 2005, Lot 73

              Provenance
              Private Collection, Alice Springs. Accompanied by an extensive folio of working photographs. 

              Price Realised
              $30,000 AUD

              Dorothy Napangardi Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa 1999 acrylic on linen featuring a concentric field of finely dotted black and white grids representing the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa, 1999
                Size
                92 × 91.5 cm

                Medium
                Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                Auction
                Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 31 October 2006, Lot 72

                Price Realised
                $15,000 AUD 

                Dorothy Napangardi Karntakurlangu 1999 acrylic on linen featuring a dense field of finely dotted white grids representing the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                  Karntakurlangu, 1999
                  Size
                  151 × 90 cm

                  Medium
                  Acrylic on linen

                  Auction
                  Art Leven, First Nations Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 17 June 2025, Lot 28

                  Provenance
                  Gallery Gondwana, NT (Cat. No. 3498DN). Private Collection, The Netherlands. Accompanied by a Gallery Gondwana certificate of authenticity. 

                  Price Realised
                  $10,000 AUD

                  Dorothy Napangardi Karntakurlangu Jukurra c.1999 acrylic on linen featuring an intricate lattice of white dotted grids over warm ochre and black representing the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                    Karnpakurlangu Jukurrpa, c.1999
                    Size
                    132 × 85 cm

                    Medium
                    Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                    Auction
                    Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 24 July 2007, Lot 168

                    Price Realised
                    $10,000 AUD 

                    Dorothy Napangardi Woman Dreaming 1999 oil on linen featuring a finely dotted black and ochre grid representing the ancestral journeys of the Women's Dreaming.

                      Woman Dreaming, 1999
                      Size
                      90 × 90 cm

                      Medium
                      Oil on linen

                      Auction
                      Mossgreen Auctions, Australian & International Art, Melbourne, 4 September 2017, Lot 105

                      Provenance
                      Gallery Gondwana, Northern Territory. Redlands Westpac Prize, 1999. Private Collection, Melbourne.

                      Price Realised
                      $3,000 AUD 

                      Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 2000-2001

                      Dorothy Napangardi Mina Mina 2000 acrylic on linen featuring a monumental black and white composition with a horizontal salt pan crossing finely dotted vertical pathways.

                        Mina Mina, 2000
                        Size
                        300 × 175 cm

                        Medium
                        Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                        Auction
                        Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 22 November 2006, Lot 97

                        Provenance
                        Private Collection, Victoria. Commissioned directly from the artist and sold with photographs of the artist creating the work.

                        Price Realised
                        $75,000 AUD 

                        Dorothy Napangardi Kurntakurlangu Jukurrpa 2000 acrylic on linen featuring intricate black and ochre dotted grids representing the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                          Kurntakurlangu Jukurrpa, 2000
                          Size
                          122 × 198 cm

                          Medium
                          Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                          Auction
                          Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 22 November 2006, Lot 27

                          Provenance
                          Commissioned by Gallery Gondwana. Private Collection, Western Australia. Sold with original gallery documentation.

                          Price Realised
                          $46,000 AUD 

                          Dorothy Napangardi Salt on Mina Mina 2000 acrylic on linen featuring a luminous horizontal band of salt crossing a dense black field of finely dotted white grids.

                            Salt on Mina Mina, 2000
                            Size
                            173 × 121 cm

                            Medium
                            Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                            Auction
                            Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 25 May 2004, Lot 33

                            Provenance
                            Private Collection, Adelaide.

                            Price Realised
                            $37,800 AUD

                            Dorothy Napangardi Karntakarangu Tjukurrpa 2000 acrylic on Belgian linen featuring concentric dotted formations representing the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                              Karntakurlangu Tjukurrpa, 2000
                              Size
                              122 × 122 cm

                              Medium
                              Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                              Auction
                              Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 30 May 2006, Lot 118

                              Provenance
                              Commissioned from the artist in 2000. Private Collection, Melbourne. Sold with photographs of the artist creating the work. 

                              Price Realised
                              $15,000 AUD

                              Dorothy Napangardi Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa 2000 acrylic on linen featuring a dense field of finely dotted white grids on a black ground representing the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                                Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa, 2000
                                Size
                                91.5 × 91.5 cm

                                Medium
                                Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                Auction
                                Bonhams, Important Australian Art: 100 Works from the Gene and Brian Sherman Collection, Sydney, 11 May 2022, Lot 87

                                Provenance
                                Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs. Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne. Private Collection, Melbourne. 

                                Price Realised
                                $6,000 AUD

                                Dorothy Napangardi Women's Dreaming 2001 acrylic on canvas featuring flowing black and olive-green dotted grids representing the ancestral journeys of the Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                                  Women’s Dreaming, 2001
                                  Size
                                  183 × 122 cm

                                  Medium
                                  Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

                                  Auction
                                  Shapiro Auctioneers, Modern + Contemporary Art, Melbourne, 10 December 2003, Lot 153

                                  Provenance
                                  Private Collection, Brisbane. Accompanied by a suite of colour photographs of the artist executing the painting.

                                  Price Realised
                                  $72,000 AUD 

                                  Dorothy Napangardi Salt on Mina Mina 2001 acrylic on linen featuring shimmering white dotted bands across a black ground representing the salt pans of Mina Mina.

                                    Salt on Mina Mina, 2001
                                    Size
                                    129 × 211 cm

                                    Medium
                                    Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                    Auction
                                    Christie’s, Australian Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 30 August 2005, Lot 50

                                    Provenance
                                    Commissioned by Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Sydney.

                                    Price Realised
                                    $45,000 AUD 

                                    Dorothy Napangardi Warlpiri Salt Crystals of Mina Mina 2001 acrylic on linen featuring shimmering white dotted grids on a black ground representing the salt crystals and ancestral pathways of Mina Mina.

                                      Warlpiri Salt Crystals of Mina Mina, 2001
                                      Size
                                      215 × 123 cm

                                      Medium
                                      Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                      Auction
                                      Shapiro Auctioneers, Modern + Contemporary Art, Sydney, 10 June 2003, Lot 171

                                      Provenance
                                      Raintree Aboriginal Fine Art Gallery, Darwin. Private Collection, Sydney. Accompanied by original certificate and colour photographs.

                                      Price Realised
                                      $40,000 AUD 

                                      Dorothy Napangardi Salt on Mina Mina – Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa 2001 acrylic on linen featuring shimmering ochre and black dotted grids representing the salt pans and Women's Dreaming at Mina Mina.

                                        Salt on Mina Mina – Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa, 2001
                                        Size
                                        168 × 244 cm

                                        Medium
                                        Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                        Auction
                                        Bonhams, The Thomas Vroom Collection, Sydney, 6 September 2015, Lot 78

                                        Provenance
                                        Gallery Gondwana, Melbourne. The Thomas Vroom Collection, The Netherlands. 

                                        Price Realised
                                        $26,000 AUD

                                        Dorothy Napangardi Mina Mina 2001 acrylic on linen featuring intricate white and ochre dotted pathways radiating across a black ground representing Mina Mina Country.

                                          Mina Mina, 2001
                                          Size
                                          91 × 121 cm

                                          Medium
                                          Acrylic on linen

                                          Auction
                                          McKenzies Auctioneers, Aboriginal Art and Artefacts, Perth, 10 November 2015, Lot 19

                                          Provenance
                                          Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery, Darwin. Purchased in 2002 with certificate.

                                          Price Realised
                                          $3,100 AUD 

                                          Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 2002

                                          Dorothy Napangardi Salt Crystals of Mina Mina 2002 acrylic on linen featuring luminous white dotted bands across a black ground representing the salt crystals and claypans of Mina Mina.

                                            Salt Crystals of Mina Mina, 2002
                                            Size
                                            137 × 213 cm

                                            Medium
                                            Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                            Auction
                                            Shapiro Auctioneers, Modern + Contemporary Art, Melbourne, 10 December 2003, Lot 190

                                            Provenance
                                            Peter Los to Company Collection, Perth. Accompanied by a suite of colour photographs of the artist executing the painting.

                                            Price Realised
                                            $49,000 AUD 

                                            Dorothy Napangardi Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa (Salt) 2002 acrylic on linen featuring shimmering white dotted grids crossed by a luminous salt band representing Mina Mina

                                              Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa (Salt), 2002
                                              Size
                                              122 × 198 cm

                                              Medium
                                              Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                              Auction
                                              Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 31 July 2006, Lot 128

                                              Provenance
                                              Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Alice Springs.

                                              Price Realised
                                              $40,000 AUD 

                                              Dorothy Napangardi Mina Mina 2002 acrylic on linen featuring a refined black and white lattice of dotted pathways representing the salt pans and ancestral journeys at Mina Mina.

                                                Mina Mina, 2002
                                                Size
                                                153 × 215 cm

                                                Medium
                                                Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                Auction
                                                Lawson~Menzies, Colonial to Contemporary Including Important Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 16 December 2009, Lot 168

                                                Provenance
                                                Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne. Lawson~Menzies, Sydney, 23 November 2004, Lot 76. Private Company Collection, Melbourne. Lawson~Menzies, Sydney, 19 June 2008, Lot 263. Private Collection, Melbourne. 

                                                Price Realised
                                                $34,000 AUD

                                                Rectangular abstract painting with countless small cream dots on a black background. The dots form flowing horizontal bands that gently ripple across the canvas, creating the appearance of a shimmering, textured landscape.

                                                  Mina Mina, 2002
                                                  Size
                                                  92 × 153 cm

                                                  Medium
                                                  Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

                                                  Auction
                                                  Lawson~Menzies, Colonial to Contemporary Including Important Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 16 December 2009, Lot 131

                                                  Provenance
                                                  Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne. Private Collection, South Australia. Lawson~Menzies, Sydney, 23 November 2004, Lot 75. Private Investment Partnership, Victoria. Lawson~Menzies, Sydney, 10 December 2008, Lot 217. 

                                                  Price Realised
                                                  $26,000 AUD

                                                  Abstract painting of thousands of tiny cream dots on a black background. The dots form a dense grid of gently curving vertical and horizontal bands, creating a woven pattern with subtle movement across the canvas.

                                                    Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa, 2002
                                                    Size
                                                    122 × 122 cm

                                                    Medium
                                                    Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                    Auction
                                                    Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 30 May 2006, Lot 96

                                                    Provenance
                                                    Flinders Lane Gallery (Cat. No. FG02405.DN). Private Collection, Melbourne. Sold with original gallery documentation and photographs of the artist creating the work. 

                                                    Price Realised
                                                    $20,000 AUD

                                                    Abstract painting of thousands of tiny cream dots on a black background. The dots form a dense network of intersecting horizontal and vertical bands, crossed by a broad horizontal strip through the centre that creates a shimmering woven appearance.

                                                      Salt on Mina Mina, 2002
                                                      Size
                                                      122 × 197 cm

                                                      Medium
                                                      Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                      Auction
                                                      Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian & International Fine Art, Melbourne, 15 July 2020, Lot 93

                                                      Provenance
                                                      Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs. Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne. The Peter and Renate Nahum Collection, London. 

                                                      Price Realised
                                                      $8,500 AUD

                                                      Abstract painting of tiny cream dots on a black background. Fine white dotted lines form a delicate grid overlaid with larger cream dotted shapes, creating a layered pattern of intersecting pathways and irregular geometric forms.

                                                        Untitled, c.2002
                                                        Size
                                                        122 × 61 cm

                                                        Medium
                                                        Acrylic on linen

                                                        Auction
                                                        Bonhams & Goodman, Fine Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 17 November 2004, Lot 250

                                                        Provenance
                                                        Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Victoria.

                                                        Price Realised
                                                        $5,000 AUD 

                                                        Abstract painting of tiny white dots on a black background. A broad horizontal band of closely spaced dots crosses the centre, while long vertical dotted lines extend above and below, creating a calm, rhythmic composition.

                                                          My Country, 2002
                                                          Size
                                                          86.5 × 50.5 cm

                                                          Medium
                                                          Acrylic on canvas

                                                          Auction
                                                          Leonard Joel, Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Melbourne, 21 July 2008, Lot 222

                                                          Provenance
                                                          Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery, Northern Territory. Private Collection. Certificate supplied.

                                                          Price Realised
                                                          $2,500 AUD 

                                                          Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 2003

                                                          Abstract painting of tiny cream and white dots on a black background. Fine dotted lines form a delicate grid overlaid with larger cream shapes, creating an intricate pattern of intersecting pathways and irregular geometric forms.

                                                            Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa, 2003
                                                            Size
                                                            183 × 350 cm

                                                            Medium
                                                            Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                            Auction
                                                            Lawson~Menzies, Australian Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 14 November 2007, Lot 62

                                                            Provenance
                                                            Private Collection, Victoria. Sold with photographs of the artist creating the work.

                                                            Price Realised
                                                            $100,000 AUD 

                                                            Three vertically aligned abstract panels filled with tiny white dots on a black background. Fine horizontal and vertical dotted lines form a shimmering grid, with a broad horizontal band running across the centre of each panel.

                                                              Mina Mina Triptych, 2003
                                                              Size
                                                              198 × 61 cm (each panel)

                                                              Medium
                                                              Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                              Auction
                                                              Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 30 May 2006, Lot 31

                                                              Provenance
                                                              Private Collection, Melbourne. Sold with photographs of the artist creating the work.

                                                              Price Realised
                                                              $46,000 AUD 

                                                              Abstract painting of tiny white dots on a black background. Fine dotted lines form intersecting horizontal and vertical bands with two broad horizontal strips across the composition, creating a shimmering woven pattern.

                                                                Salt on Mina Mina, 2003
                                                                Size
                                                                169 × 244 cm

                                                                Medium
                                                                Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                Auction
                                                                Bonhams, Important Australian Art, Sydney, 17 November 2021, Lot 21

                                                                Provenance
                                                                Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Sydney.

                                                                Price Realised
                                                                $40,000 AUD 

                                                                Abstract painting of tiny white dots on a black background. Fine dotted lines form a dense grid of intersecting horizontal and vertical bands that gently bend and ripple across the canvas, creating a shimmering woven texture.

                                                                  Mina Mina, 2003
                                                                  Size
                                                                  122 × 198 cm

                                                                  Medium
                                                                  Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                  Auction
                                                                  Lawson~Menzies, Colonial to Contemporary Including Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 25 March 2009, Lot 134

                                                                  Provenance
                                                                  Gallery Gondwana, Northern Territory. Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne. Private Collection, Melbourne. Lawson~Menzies, Sydney, 23 May 2007, Lot 77. 

                                                                  Price Realised
                                                                  $24,000 AUD

                                                                  Abstract painting of thousands of tiny cream and white dots on a black background. The dots form tightly packed horizontal rows of small hooked shapes surrounding a large dark central form that stands out against the lighter patterned areas.

                                                                    Women’s Dreaming, 2003
                                                                    Size
                                                                    122 × 122 cm

                                                                    Medium
                                                                    Acrylic on Belgian linen

                                                                    Auction
                                                                    Cromwell’s Sydney, Australian & International Paintings, Sydney, 21 April 2004, Lot 72

                                                                    Provenance
                                                                    Private Collection, Melbourne. Accompanied by working photographs of the artist with the painting. 

                                                                    Price Realised
                                                                    $15,000 AUD

                                                                    Abstract painting of countless tiny cream and white dots on a black background. The dots form long, gently curving vertical bands that flow across the canvas like parallel waves, creating a shimmering sense of movement.

                                                                      Sandhills on Mina Mina, 2003
                                                                      Size
                                                                      122 × 122.5 cm

                                                                      Medium
                                                                      Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                      Auction
                                                                      Bonhams, Important Australian Art: Sidney Nolan, The Heide Years, Sydney, 23 August 2022, Lot 9

                                                                      Provenance
                                                                      Gallery Gondwana, Melbourne (Cat. No. 8030DN). Private Collection, Melbourne. 

                                                                      Price Realised
                                                                      $13,000 AUD

                                                                      Abstract painting of countless tiny cream and white dots on a black background. The dots form flowing horizontal bands that curve, merge and separate across the canvas, creating the appearance of layered waves or rolling ridges.

                                                                        Sandhills of Mina Mina, 2003
                                                                        Size
                                                                        123 × 123 cm

                                                                        Medium
                                                                        Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                        Auction
                                                                        Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art), Indigenous Fine Art Auction – The Rod Menzies Estate | Part II, Sydney, 5 March 2024, Lot 32

                                                                        Provenance
                                                                        Flinders Lane Gallery, Victoria (Cat. No. FG03414.DN). Lawson~Menzies, Sydney, December 2009, Lot 130. Menzies Estate Collection, Victoria. 

                                                                        Price Realised
                                                                        $9,500 AUD

                                                                        Abstract painting of tiny white dots on a black background. A broad vertical band of densely packed dots runs through the centre, surrounded by finer intersecting dotted lines that form a delicate grid across the canvas.

                                                                          Mina Mina, 2003
                                                                          Size
                                                                          122 × 122 cm

                                                                          Medium
                                                                          Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                          Auction
                                                                          Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian & International Fine Art, Melbourne, 15 July 2020, Lot 96

                                                                          Provenance
                                                                          Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne. The Peter and Renate Nahum Collection of Aboriginal Art, London.

                                                                          Price Realised
                                                                          $5,500 AUD 

                                                                          Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 2004-2006

                                                                          Abstract painting of thousands of tiny white dots on a black background. Dense dotted lines form an intricate, shimmering network that swirls and shifts across the surface without a dominant centre or obvious grid.

                                                                            Mina Mina, 2004
                                                                            Size
                                                                            122 × 92 cm

                                                                            Medium
                                                                            Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                            Auction
                                                                            Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Fine Art, Sydney, 23 May 2007, Lot 183

                                                                            Provenance
                                                                            Gallery Gondwana (Cat. No. 9104DN). Private Collection, NSW. Sold with original gallery documentation. 

                                                                            Price Realised
                                                                            $15,000 AUD

                                                                            Abstract painting of large white dots on a black background. The dots form a delicate grid of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines with gently irregular spacing, creating a shimmering geometric pattern across the canvas.

                                                                              Salt on Mina Mina, 2004
                                                                              Size
                                                                              61 × 61 cm

                                                                              Medium
                                                                              Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                              Auction
                                                                              Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art), Indigenous Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 20 June 2023, Lot 8

                                                                              Provenance
                                                                              Gallery Gondwana, Northern Territory, Cat. No. 8791DN. Private Collection, Northern Territory.

                                                                              Price Realised
                                                                              $4,600 AUD 

                                                                              Abstract painting of thousands of tiny white dots on a black background. The dots form gently undulating horizontal bands that flow across the canvas, with subtle clusters and open spaces creating a shimmering, wave-like surface.

                                                                                Salt on Mina Mina, 2004
                                                                                Size
                                                                                91 × 91 cm

                                                                                Medium
                                                                                Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                                Auction
                                                                                Leonard Joel, Fine Art, Melbourne, 8 June 2021, Lot 70

                                                                                Provenance
                                                                                Gallery Gondwana, Northern Territory. Private Collection, Melbourne.

                                                                                Price Realised
                                                                                $3,200 AUD 

                                                                                Abstract painting of tiny cream dots on a dark brown background. Fine dotted vertical and horizontal lines form an irregular grid crossed by gently curving pathways, creating the appearance of a delicate woven map.

                                                                                  Karntakurlangu Tjukurrpa, 2005
                                                                                  Size
                                                                                  122 × 76 cm

                                                                                  Medium
                                                                                  Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                                  Auction
                                                                                  Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art), Indigenous Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 23 June 2020, Lot 34

                                                                                  Provenance
                                                                                  Gallery Gondwana Fine Art, NT (Cat. No. 13-11509). Private Collection, NT. 

                                                                                  Price Realised
                                                                                  $10,000 AUD

                                                                                  Abstract painting of thousands of tiny black dots on a white background. The dots form gently flowing horizontal bands that ripple across the canvas, creating layered wave-like patterns with subtle variations in density and direction.

                                                                                    Mina Mina, 2006
                                                                                    Size
                                                                                    167 × 181 cm

                                                                                    Medium
                                                                                    Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                                    Auction
                                                                                    Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art), Indigenous Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 20 October 2020, Lot 49

                                                                                    Provenance
                                                                                    Ngintaka Arts, Northern Territory. Private Collection, NSW. Accompanied by photographs of the artist creating the artwork. 

                                                                                    Price Realised
                                                                                    $23,000 AUD

                                                                                    Abstract painting of thousands of tiny black and white dots. Dense vertical bands rise through the composition while lighter horizontal dotted pathways cross the surface, creating a layered pattern that resembles shimmering salt plains viewed from above.

                                                                                      Salt at Mina Mina, 2006
                                                                                      Size
                                                                                      198.5 × 149 cm

                                                                                      Medium
                                                                                      Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

                                                                                      Auction
                                                                                      Lawson~Menzies, Contemporary, Modern Australian and Important Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 19 June 2008, Lot 229

                                                                                      Provenance
                                                                                      Harrison Galleries, Sydney. Private Collection, Sydney. 

                                                                                      Price Realised
                                                                                      $17,000 AUD

                                                                                      Abstract painting of tiny white dots on a black background. Fine dotted lines form a gently distorted grid of horizontal and vertical pathways that ripple across the canvas, creating a shimmering woven appearance.

                                                                                        Mina Mina, 2006
                                                                                        Size
                                                                                        117.5 × 142 cm

                                                                                        Medium
                                                                                        Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                                        Auction
                                                                                        Menzies, Australian & International Fine Art, Sydney, 11 May 2017, Lot 96

                                                                                        Provenance
                                                                                        Australian Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney. Jinta Desert Art, New South Wales. Private Collection, Melbourne. 

                                                                                        Price Realised
                                                                                        $8,500 AUD

                                                                                        Abstract painting of tiny white dots on a black background. A broad horizontal band of densely packed dots runs across the centre, while finer dotted grids above and below create a shimmering pattern of intersecting lines.

                                                                                          Women’s Dreaming, 2006
                                                                                          Size
                                                                                          90 × 120 cm

                                                                                          Medium
                                                                                          Acrylic on linen

                                                                                          Auction
                                                                                          Lawsons, Australian Indigenous Art, Sydney, 24 November 2024, Lot 5042

                                                                                          Provenance
                                                                                          Muk Muk Fine Art Certificate of Authenticity and artist holding photographs, Cat. No. A9540.

                                                                                          Price Realised
                                                                                          $4,000 AUD 

                                                                                          Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 2007-2008

                                                                                          Abstract painting of thousands of tiny black and white dots on a pale background. Broad vertical bands of red, blue and yellow rise through the composition, dividing fields of fine flowing dotting that resemble rolling desert sandhills.

                                                                                            Sandhills, 2007
                                                                                            Size
                                                                                            125 × 266.5 cm

                                                                                            Medium
                                                                                            Synthetic polymer paint on canvas

                                                                                            Auction
                                                                                            McKenzies Auctioneers, Fine and Decorative Arts, Jewellery and Furniture (Art Lots Only), Perth, 26 May 2020, Lot 74

                                                                                            Provenance
                                                                                            Painted in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Private commission. Private Perth Collection.

                                                                                            Price Realised
                                                                                            $35,000 AUD 

                                                                                            Abstract painting of thousands of tiny white dots on a black background. The dots form a continuous, shimmering field of flowing lines and subtle swirling patterns with no central focal point, creating an immersive textured surface.

                                                                                              Mina Mina, 2007
                                                                                              Size
                                                                                              182 × 120 cm

                                                                                              Medium
                                                                                              Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                                              Auction
                                                                                              Leonard Joel, Centum, Melbourne, 28 June 2021, Lot 65

                                                                                              Provenance
                                                                                              Muk Muk Aboriginal Fine Art, Brisbane. Art Index, Sydney (2017). Private Collection, Victoria. 

                                                                                              Price Realised
                                                                                              $9,500 AUD

                                                                                              Abstract painting of tiny white dots on a black background. Fine dotted lines form a gently distorted grid of horizontal and vertical bands, with broader horizontal bands across the composition creating a layered, shimmering surface.

                                                                                                Women’s Dreaming, 2007
                                                                                                Size
                                                                                                140 × 140 cm

                                                                                                Medium
                                                                                                Acrylic on canvas

                                                                                                Auction
                                                                                                Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers, Fine Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 29 July 2024, Lot 9081

                                                                                                Provenance
                                                                                                Art Index Certificate of Authenticity DNA10867.

                                                                                                Price Realised
                                                                                                $5,000 AUD 

                                                                                                Abstract painting of thousands of tiny white dots on a black background. The dots form long, flowing vertical bands that bend and converge like rolling sand dunes, creating a shimmering sense of movement across the canvas.

                                                                                                  Sandhills, 2007
                                                                                                  Size
                                                                                                  121 × 84 cm

                                                                                                  Medium
                                                                                                  Acrylic on Belgian linen

                                                                                                  Auction
                                                                                                  Lawsons, Indigenous Art, Sydney, 28 July 2024, Lot 5045

                                                                                                  Provenance
                                                                                                  Ansett Aboriginal Art Gallery certificate of authenticity and artist holding photographs, Cat. No. AAAG128.

                                                                                                  Price Realised
                                                                                                  $3,500 AUD 

                                                                                                  Abstract painting of fine black dots on a white background forming an intricate network of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines. The delicate grid gently shifts and bends across the canvas, creating the appearance of cracked salt flats seen from above.

                                                                                                    Salt on Mina Mina, 2008
                                                                                                    Size
                                                                                                    198 × 122 cm

                                                                                                    Medium
                                                                                                    Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                                                    Auction
                                                                                                    Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art), Indigenous Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 23 June 2020, Lot 58

                                                                                                    Provenance
                                                                                                    Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs, NT (Cat. No. 10002DN). Private Collection, NSW. 

                                                                                                    Price Realised
                                                                                                    $30,000 AUD

                                                                                                    Abstract painting on a deep brown background covered with thousands of tiny white and pale ochre dots forming a delicate network of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines. Several broad horizontal bands cross the composition while gently wavering lines weave through the intricate grid, creating the appearance of salt flats and ancestral pathways viewed from above.

                                                                                                      Karntakurlangu (Belonging to Women), 2008
                                                                                                      Size
                                                                                                      151.5 × 91.5 cm

                                                                                                      Medium
                                                                                                      Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                                                      Auction
                                                                                                      Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art), Indigenous Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 11 October 2022, Lot 93

                                                                                                      Provenance
                                                                                                      Gallery Gondwana, NT (Cat. No. 13802DN). Private Collection, NT. Accompanied by a Gallery Gondwana certificate of authenticity. 

                                                                                                      Price Realised
                                                                                                      $17,000 AUD

                                                                                                      Abstract painting on a black background covered with thousands of tiny white and pale ochre dots forming an intricate network of intersecting lines. Near the centre, the grid curves into a subtle circular vortex before radiating outward in every direction, creating the appearance of ancestral pathways and salt-encrusted ground viewed from above.

                                                                                                        Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa (Women’s Dreaming), 2008
                                                                                                        Size
                                                                                                        122 × 122 cm

                                                                                                        Medium
                                                                                                        Synthetic polymer paint on linen

                                                                                                        Auction
                                                                                                        Deutscher and Hackett, Aboriginal Art from the Luczo Family Collection, USA, Melbourne, 19 October 2016, Lot 88

                                                                                                        Provenance
                                                                                                        Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs. Private Collection. Sotheby’s Australia, Melbourne, 28 July 2010, Lot 230. The Luczo Family Collection, USA. 

                                                                                                        Price Realised
                                                                                                        $10,000 AUD

                                                                                                        Abstract painting with thousands of tiny white dots arranged in a delicate network of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines across a warm golden-yellow background. The fine grid gently bends and shifts across the surface, evoking the intricate patterns of cracked salt flats viewed from above.

                                                                                                          Salt on Mina Mina, 2008
                                                                                                          Size
                                                                                                          91 × 61 cm

                                                                                                          Medium
                                                                                                          Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen

                                                                                                          Auction
                                                                                                          Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art), Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Sydney, 29 May 2018, Lot 73

                                                                                                          Provenance
                                                                                                          Gallery Gondwana, Northern Territory, Cat. No. 9647DN. Private Collection, Northern Territory.

                                                                                                          Price Realised
                                                                                                          $5,500 AUD 

                                                                                                          Dorothy Napangardi Artwork Value 2009-2010

                                                                                                          Abstract painting on a black background covered with thousands of tiny white and reddish-ochre dots arranged in a dense network of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines. The delicate grid gently bends and compresses across the surface, creating the appearance of cracked salt flats and ancestral pathways viewed from above.

                                                                                                            Salt on Mina Mina, c.2009
                                                                                                            Size
                                                                                                            180 × 125 cm

                                                                                                            Medium
                                                                                                            Acrylic on linen

                                                                                                            Auction
                                                                                                            Lawsons, Aboriginal Art & Artefacts, Sydney, 31 May 2018, Lot 544

                                                                                                            Provenance
                                                                                                            Certificate of authenticity including holding photographs.

                                                                                                            Price Realised
                                                                                                            $4,000 AUD 

                                                                                                            Abstract painting on a dark brown background with thousands of tiny white, yellow and pale ochre dots flowing in long, parallel, gently curving lines. The bands sweep across the canvas from multiple directions, converging near the centre to create the impression of sandhills, wind patterns and ancestral pathways viewed from above.

                                                                                                              Mina Mina, 2009
                                                                                                              Size
                                                                                                              95.5 × 60 cm

                                                                                                              Medium
                                                                                                              Acrylic on canvas

                                                                                                              Auction
                                                                                                              Leonard Joel, Fine Art, Melbourne, 29 November 2016, Lot 260

                                                                                                              Provenance
                                                                                                              Aboriginal Art Galleries, Melbourne. Private Collection, Melbourne.

                                                                                                              Price Realised
                                                                                                              $2,800 AUD 

                                                                                                              Abstract painting on a black background covered with thousands of tiny white dots forming an intricate network of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines. A broad horizontal band of densely packed dots runs across the centre, dividing the composition and creating the impression of a shimmering salt pan cutting through an aerial landscape.

                                                                                                                Salt at Mina Mina, 2010
                                                                                                                Size
                                                                                                                120 × 90 cm

                                                                                                                Medium
                                                                                                                Acrylic on linen

                                                                                                                Auction
                                                                                                                Webb’s, Works of Art, Auckland, 28 March 2022, Lot 68

                                                                                                                Provenance
                                                                                                                Private Collection, Wellington. Acquired from U.I. Aboriginal Art Gallery, Alice Springs. 

                                                                                                                Price Realised
                                                                                                                $7,000 AUD

                                                                                                                Abstract painting on a black background with delicate horizontal bands of tiny white dots flowing gently across the canvas. Thin lines of pale ochre dots weave between the white bands, creating the impression of layered salt flats, sandhills and ancestral pathways stretching across the desert.

                                                                                                                  Salt on Mina Mina, 2010
                                                                                                                  Size
                                                                                                                  102 × 102 cm

                                                                                                                  Medium
                                                                                                                  Acrylic on linen

                                                                                                                  Auction
                                                                                                                  Lawsons, Australian Indigenous Art, Sydney, 24 November 2024, Lot 5045

                                                                                                                  Provenance
                                                                                                                  Certificate of Authenticity including artist holding photograph.

                                                                                                                  Price Realised
                                                                                                                  $5,000 AUD 

                                                                                                                  Abstract painting on a black background with thousands of tiny white dots arranged in bold vertical bands. Dense columns of closely packed dots alternate with finer parallel lines, while a single horizontal band crosses the composition, creating the impression of salt plains, ceremonial pathways and intersecting tracks viewed from above.

                                                                                                                    Salt on Mina Mina, 2010
                                                                                                                    Size
                                                                                                                    120 × 120 cm

                                                                                                                    Medium
                                                                                                                    Acrylic on Belgian linen

                                                                                                                    Auction
                                                                                                                    Davidson Auctions, Australian & International Art, Sydney, 19 June 2016, Lot 298

                                                                                                                    Provenance
                                                                                                                    Heritage Aboriginal Art Certificate of Authenticity. Artist holding photograph. Private Collection, Queensland.

                                                                                                                    Price Realised
                                                                                                                    $2,200 AUD 

                                                                                                                    About This Artist Value Page

                                                                                                                    The headline auction statistics at the top of this page — including the number of works offered, sale rate, highest recorded sale and median sale price — are calculated from the auction records reviewed for this artist.

                                                                                                                    Everything below those figures should be regarded as a curated and subjective selection rather than a complete record of the artist’s auction history.

                                                                                                                    This is not a database of works sold. For comprehensive Australian art auction records and market data, I recommend the Australian Art sales Digest

                                                                                                                    I select works primarily to show the variety, development and quality of an artist’s work. I favour works with good-quality images over those represented by small or poor auction photographs, and I naturally include paintings that I find particularly interesting or useful in understanding the artist. Although I try to choose representative examples from different periods, subjects, sizes and price levels, these choices inevitably introduce bias.

                                                                                                                    The highest auction results also require caution. An artist’s three, four or five strongest results may be for exceptional works that entered Australian or international public collections or attracted unusually strong institutional and collector competition. Such prices should not automatically be regarded as representative of the broader market for that artist.

                                                                                                                    These pages are part of my continuing education in Aboriginal art and are intended primarily for people who enjoy the art and want to explore the variety and evolution of an artist’s work. Apart from the headline auction statistics, the selection, commentary and interpretation on this page are subjective and should not be relied upon for valuation, investment, insurance, taxation or other commercial purposes.

                                                                                                                    All images featured in this article are presented strictly for educational and informational purposes.

                                                                                                                    This website may include copyrighted material for which specific authorization has not been obtained from the copyright owner.

                                                                                                                    All such images are presumed to be the intellectual property of the respective artist or their estate, and are used in accordance with principles of fair dealing or fair use under applicable copyright law.