Makinti Napanangka Artwork | Painting Values, prices and Auction results
Works Offered at Auction: 346
Sale Rate: 61%
Highest Sale: $210,000 AUD
Median Sale Price: $4,000 AUD
This is a support page for Makinti Napanangka, focusing on her auction results and the market for her paintings. For her life, Country, artistic development, subjects and distinctive painting style, see the main Makinti Napanangka biography and painting style page.
Makinti Napanangka’s paintings are among the most sought-after works by any Western Desert artist. Recorded auction results range from under $1500 AUD for smaller paintings to $240,000 AUD for her finest highest selling large-scale works. Analysis of more than 71 public auction sales demonstrates that there is no single “typical” value, with prices varying substantially according to the individual painting.
The auction results below are arranged by the year each painting was executed, making it easier to compare works from the same period of Makinti’s career. Although they do not represent every recorded sale, they provide a practical guide to how paintings of different dates, sizes and provenance have performed on the secondary market.
The factors with the greatest influence on value include:
- Date of execution – many of Makinti’s strongest auction results have been achieved by major paintings produced between approximately 2000 and 2004.
- Size – larger, more ambitious paintings generally command the highest prices.
- Provenance – paintings produced for Papunya Tula Artists with well-documented ownership history frequently attract stronger collector interest.
- Exhibition and publication history – works exhibited by major galleries or included in important collections often achieve premium prices.
- Condition – damage, restoration or staining can significantly affect value.
- Overall artistic quality – collectors consistently pay the highest prices for Makinti’s strongest compositions rather than simply buying by size or subject.
While auction records provide an important benchmark, no two Makinti Napanangka paintings are exactly alike. Even paintings produced in the same year can differ significantly in value because of differences in scale, provenance, condition and overall quality. The most reliable assessment comes from comparing a painting with closely related works of similar date, size and provenance.
If you own a painting by Makinti Napanangka and would like to know its current market value, please send clear photographs of the front and back, together with the dimensions and any available provenance. I am happy to provide an informal market assessment and, if you decide to sell, I may also be interested in purchasing the work or selling the artwork on a commission basis.
1994
Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women) (1994)
Size
91 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Lawson~Menzies, Australian Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 14 November 2007, Lot 265
Provenance
Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings. Private Collection, Victoria.
Price Realised
$6,000 AUD
1996
Kaakaratintja (1996)
Size
91.5 × 45.5 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian & International Fine Art; Important Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 29 November 2017, Lot 129
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$5,500 AUD
Untitled (Mugilypa Shrub) (1996)
Size
47 × 38 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Gibson’s, The Alison Kelly Collection of Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 8 May 2023, Lot 44
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs.
Price Realised
$3,200 AUD
Women’s Ceremonies at Kaakuratintja (Lake MacDonald) (1996)
Size
89.5 × 45.5 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 9 July 2001, Lot 301
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 1996 for Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Alice Springs.
Price Realised
$1,700 AUD
1997
Untitled (Designs Associated with the Travels of Kungka Kungka) (1997)
Size
91 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Shapiro Auctioneers, Modern & Contemporary Art & Photography, Sydney, 8 May 2002, Lot 220
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists. Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$6,000 AUD
Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women) (1997)
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 24 June 2002, Lot 194
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 1997. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$10,000 AUD
Untitled (1997)
Size
153 × 122 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Aboriginal Art from the Laverty Collection, Sydney, 8 March 2015, Lot 106
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. The Collection of Colin and Elizabeth Laverty, Sydney, purchased November 1997.
Price Realised
$88,000 AUD
Untitled (1997)
Size
92 × 92 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 20 October 2008, Lot 110
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 1997. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection.
Price Realised
$7,500 AUD
1998
Untitled (1998)
Size
91 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 20 October 2008, Lot 111
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 1998. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection.
Price Realised
$6,000 AUD
Untitled (Kungka Kutjarra – Two Women) (1998)
Size
122 × 122 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 25 March 2026, Lot 8
Provenance
Commissioned by Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory in May 1998. Framed Gallery, Darwin. Palya Art, Darwin. Private Collection, France.
Price Realised
$70,000 AUD
Untitled
Size
92 × 107 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 20 July 2009, Lot 74
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 1998. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection.
Price Realised
$14,000 AUD
1999
Untitled (1998)
Size
91 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 20 October 2008, Lot 111
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 1998. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection.
Price Realised
$6,000 AUD
2000
Travels of Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women) to a Site South of Lake MacDonald (2000)
Size
92 × 61 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 31 October 2006, Lot 151
Provenance
Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$6,000 AUD
Lupulnga (2000)
Size
137 × 122 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 8 April 2008, Lot 10
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists. Utopia Art, Sydney (Catalogue No. MN0011015).
Price Realised
$38,000 AUD
Untitled (Designs Associated with the Rockhole Site of Lupulnga) (2000)
Size
122 × 61 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Shapiro Auctioneers, Modern & Contemporary, Sydney, 21 July 2004, Lot 77
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory. Utopia Art, Sydney. Collection of Lilli Scott, New South Wales.
Price Realised
$3,700 AUD
Lupulnga (2000)
Size
137 × 122 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 8 April 2008, Lot 10
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists. Utopia Art, Sydney (Catalogue No. MN0011015).
Price Realised
$38,000 AUD
Lupulnga (2000)
Size
137 × 122 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 8 April 2008, Lot 10
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists. Utopia Art, Sydney (Catalogue No. MN0011015).
Price Realised
$38,000 AUD
2001
Lupulnga (2001)
Size
46.5 × 38.4 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, The Peter Elliott Collection, Sydney, 31 August 2015, Lot 237
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory. Utopia Art, Sydney.
Price Realised
$1,400 AUD
Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2001)
Size
122 × 153 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian + International Fine Art: The Ken & Joan Plomley Collection of Modernist Art, Sydney, 28 August 2019, Lot 124
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Utopia Art, Sydney. Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired in November 2001.
Price Realised
$19,000 AUD
Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2001)
Size
122 × 153 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian + International Fine Art: The Ken & Joan Plomley Collection of Modernist Art, Sydney, 28 August 2019, Lot 124
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Utopia Art, Sydney. Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired in November 2001.
Price Realised
$19,000 AUD
Untitled (Rockhole Site of Lupulnga) (2001)
Size
122 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Auction
Bonhams, The Laverty Collection: Contemporary Australian Art, Sydney, 24 March 2013, Lot 215
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Purchased from Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs in August 2001. The Laverty Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$7,000 AUD
Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2001)
Size
183 × 152 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 7 June 2011, Lot 36
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs (stock MN0101077). Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$40,000 AUD
Travels of Kungka Kutjarra (2001)
Size
152 × 122 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Melbourne, 15 November 2005, Lot 80
Provenance
Painted for Papunya Tula Artists. Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne. Private Collection, USA.
Price Realised
$13,000 AUD
Untitled (2001)
Size
91 × 91 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Shapiro Auctioneers, Indigenous Art, Sydney, 15 July 2024, Lot 6
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Utopia Art, Sydney. Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$10,000 AUD
Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women) (2001)
Size
122 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, The Anthony & Beverly Knight Collection of Early Papunya Art / Important Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Melbourne, 28 May 2013, Lot 98
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs (Stock No. MN0102128). Utopia Art, Sydney. Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$12,000 AUD
![Untitled [The Travels of Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women)] by Makinti Napanangka, 2001, synthetic polymer paint on linen, 122 × 61 cm.](https://www.aboriginal-bark-paintings.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/50-hero.jpg "Makinti Napanangka – Untitled [The Travels of Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women)], 2001")
Untitled [The Travels of Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women)] (2001)
Size
122 × 61 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Bonhams, The Laverty Collection: Contemporary Australian Art, Sydney, 24 March 2013, Lot 35
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Purchased from Utopia Art, Sydney, February 2001. The Laverty Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$9,000 AUD
Lupulnga (2001)
Size
91 × 61 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 17 March 2021, Lot 47
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Bett Gallery, Hobart. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$6,500 AUD
2002
Lupulnga (2002)
Size
137 × 122 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian & International Fine Art, Melbourne, 28 November 2018, Lot 84
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$8,000 AUD
Untitled (Rockhole Site of Lupulnga) (2002)
Size
153 × 122 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art & Oceanic Art, Sydney, 18 October 2011, Lot 66
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists (Stock No. MN0207026). Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$26,000 AUD
Untitled (2002)
Size
91 × 46 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Auction
Art Leven, Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Sydney, 29 May 2018, Lot 91
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory. Kimberley Art, Victoria. Private Collection, Victoria.
Price Realised
$1,600 AUD
Untitled (Rockhole Site of Lupulnga) (2002)
Size
153 × 122 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art & Oceanic Art, Sydney, 18 October 2011, Lot 66
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists (Stock No. MN0207026). Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$26,000 AUD
The Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2002)
Size
120 × 90 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal and Oceanic Art, Sydney, 25 November 2007, Lot 100
Provenance
Painted at Kintore for Papunya Tula Artists in 2002. Private Collection.
Price Realised
$7,750 AUD
Lupulnga (2002)
Size
183 × 152.5 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Aboriginal Art from the Luczo Family Collection, USA, Melbourne, 19 October 2016, Lot 48
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 2002. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. AP Bond Gallery, Adelaide. The Luczo Family Collection, USA.
Price Realised
$45,000 AUD
Lupulnga (2002)
Size
91 × 61 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Auction
Gibson’s, The Alison Kelly Collection of Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 8 May 2023, Lot 2
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs.
Price Realised
$6,000 AUD
2003
Women’s Hair String (2003)
Size
91 × 61.5 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Art Leven, Indigenous Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 11 October 2022, Lot 3
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory. Private Collection, South Australia.
Price Realised
$4,200 AUD
Lupulnga (2003)
Size
152.5 × 183 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, New York, 23 May 2023, Lot 49
Provenance
Painted for Papunya Tula Artists at Kintore, Northern Territory, 2003 (Papunya Tula Artists catalogue number MN0305056). Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne. Private Collection.
Price Realised
$142,000 AUD
Hair String Belt (2003)
Size
91 × 61 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Art Leven, First Nations Fine Art Auction, Sydney, 17 June 2025, Lot 35
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory. Private Collection, New South Wales.
Price Realised
$5,500 AUD
Lupulnga (2003)
Size
152 × 183 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 31 July 2006, Lot 129
Provenance
Painted at Kintore for Papunya Tula Artists in 2003. Tony Bond Aboriginal Art, Adelaide. Private Collection, South Australia.
Price Realised
$60,000 AUD
Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women), Hair String (2003)
Size
122 × 211 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Lawson~Menzies, Aboriginal Fine Art, Sydney, 9 November 2005, Lot 18
Provenance
Waterhole Art (Catalogue No. SMYMN0105). Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$20,000 AUD
Lupulnga (2003)
Size
183 × 244 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, New York, 25 May 2022, Lot 71
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in January 2003 for Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection.
Price Realised
$240,000 AUD
Untitled (2003)
Size
122 × 122.5 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, D+H Online: Australian Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 6 June 2023, Lot 5
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$28,000 AUD
Kungka Kutjarra (2003)
Size
150 × 90 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Auction
Shapiro Auctioneers, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 28 June 2009, Lot 182
Provenance
Aboriginal Australia Art and Culture, Alice Springs (Catalogue No. SIDMN90A). Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$16,000 AUD
Kungka Kutjarra (Two Women) (2003)
Size
121.5 × 121 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, Australian Indigenous & Oceanic Art, Melbourne, 22 July 2014, Lot 64
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs (Catalogue No. MN0307097). William Mora Galleries, Melbourne. Private Collection, Queensland.
Price Realised
$11,500 AUD
Lupulnga (2003)
Size
107 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Important Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 15 October 2012, Lot 107
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs (Stock No. MN0312074). Private Collection, Western Australia.
Price Realised
$10,000 AUD
Untitled (2003)
Size
91.5 × 91.5 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, Australian, Indigenous & Oceanic Art, Melbourne, 21 July 2015, Lot 12
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory. Utopia Art, Sydney. Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$9,000 AUD
2004
Untitled (Hairstring at Lupulnga Rock Hole) (2004)
Size
120 × 183 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Art Leven, Aboriginal Works of Art Including the Estate of the Late Mike Chandler, Sydney, 4 June 2019, Lot 51
Provenance
Red Sand Art Gallery, Alice Springs. Tjala Aboriginal Art, New South Wales. The Mike Chandler Collection, New South Wales.
Price Realised
$2,600 AUD
Lupulnga Rocksite (2004)
Size
122 × 153 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, The Ross & Rona Clarke Collection, Brisbane, 9 September 2012, Lot 105
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. The Darwin Gallery, Darwin.
Price Realised
$19,000 AUD
Designs Associated with the Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2004)
Size
137 × 122 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Bonhams, Australian & Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 6 June 2017, Lot 16
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$8,000 AUD
Desert Finches Looking for Seed (2004)
Size
127 × 90 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers, Indigenous Art, Sydney, 15 July 2026, Lot 9027
Provenance
Zappers Aboriginal Art.
Price Realised
$3,400 AUD
Untitled (2004)
Size
118.5 × 86.5 cm
Medium
Acrylic on Belgian linen
Auction
Lawsons, Australian Indigenous Art, Sydney, 25 August 2025, Lot 5013
Provenance
Accompanied by certificate of authenticity and holding photographs.
Price Realised
$6,000 AUD
Lupulnga (2004)
Size
121.5 × 92 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 26 March 2025, Lot 23
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Suzanne O’Connell Gallery, Brisbane. Private Collection, Canberra, acquired in 2011.
Price Realised
$35,000 AUD
Hairstring Country (2004)
Size
122.5 × 92 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Auction
Lawson~Menzies, Contemporary, Modern Australian and Important Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 19 June 2008, Lot 274
Provenance
Original and Authentic Aboriginal Art, Melbourne. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$7,000 AUD
2005
Untitled (2005)
Size
120 × 90 cm
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Auction
Leonard Joel, Fine Art, Melbourne, 28 November 2017, Lot 66
Provenance
Galleries Direct, Sydney, 2005. Private Collection, Queensland.
Price Realised
$2,000 AUD
The Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2005)
Size
122 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, D+H Online: Selected Australian Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 28 May 2026, Lot 7
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Private Collection, Paris, acquired from the above.
Price Realised
$16,000 AUD
Two Women – Fire (2005)
Size
122 × 92 cm
Medium
Acrylic on Belgian linen
Auction
Leonard Joel, Aboriginal Art Timed Auction, Online, 27 July 2018, Lot 7
Provenance
Art Mob, Hobart. Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$2,200 AUD
Untitled (2005)
Size
107 × 91.5 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Aboriginal & Oceanic Art, Melbourne, 18 May 2011, Lot 64
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$11,000 AUD
Untitled (2005)
Size
94 × 125 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Lawson~Menzies, Colonial to Contemporary Including Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 25 March 2009, Lot 160
Provenance
Robyn Maloney, Northern Territory. Private Collection, Sydney.
Price Realised
$6,500 AUD
Lupulnga (2005)
Size
91 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Lawsons, The Connoisseur’s Capsule – A Timed Online Auction, Melbourne, 17 June 2026, Lot 38
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory (Stock No. MN0503019). Private Collection, Victoria. Menzies, Melbourne, 20 November 2024, Lot 57. Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$9,500 AUD
Sandhills at Tali (2005)
Size
122 × 92 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Lawsons, Australian Indigenous Art, Sydney, 25 May 2026, Lot 5037
Provenance
Muk Muk Aboriginal Art. Artist biography and holding photographs.
Price Realised
$4,500 AUD
2006
The Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2006)
Size
107 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 22 March 2023, Lot 8
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne. Private Collection, Brisbane.
Price Realised
$25,000 AUD
The Rockhole Site of Lupulnga (2006)
Size
107 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 22 March 2023, Lot 8
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne. Private Collection, Brisbane.
Price Realised
$25,000 AUD
2007
Lupulnga (2007)
Size
56 × 61 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, The Collection of William and Lucy Mora, Melbourne, 21 July 2010, Lot 109
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. The Collection of William and Lucy Mora, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$2,400 AUD
Untitled (Designs Associated with the Site of Lupulnga) (2007)
Size
122 × 92 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Sotheby’s, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 30 November 2010, Lot 52
Provenance
Painted at Kintore, Northern Territory. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs (Stock No. MN0702158). Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$8,200 AUD
Untitled (2007)
Size
122.5 × 92 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 26 March 2024, Lot 25
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired in 2007.
Price Realised
$18,000 AUD
Women’s Hair String Ceremony (2007)
Size
90 × 90 cm
Medium
Acrylic on linen
Auction
Lawsons, Australian Indigenous Art, Sydney, 22 September 2024, Lot 5027
Provenance
Charleston’s Fine Art Auctions.
Price Realised
$3,500 AUD
Kungka Kutjarra (2007)
Size
182 × 122 cm
Medium
Acrylic on Belgian linen
Auction
Lawsons, Australian & Indigenous Art, Sydney, 23 March 2026, Lot 5034
Provenance
Muk Muk Aboriginal (Catalogue No. A12826).
Price Realised
$7,750 AUD
Untitled (2007)
Size
122 × 106 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian & International Fine Art; Important Indigenous Art, Melbourne, 29 November 2017, Lot 128
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Private Collection, Alice Springs.
Price Realised
$8,000 AUD
2008
Untitled (Rockhole Site of Lupulnga)
Size
90 × 61 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
Auction
Bonhams, Aboriginal Art; Aboriginal Art from the Superannuation Fund of William Nuttall and Annette Reeves, Sydney, 28 May 2012, Lot 16
Provenance
Painted at Kintore in 2008. Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs. Superannuation Fund of William Nuttall and Annette Reeves.
Price Realised
$3,000 AUD
Untitled (Designs Associated with the Site of Lupulnga) (2008)
Size
107 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Bonhams, Aboriginal Art, Sydney, 28 June 2011, Lot 27
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists (Catalogue No. MN0809027).
Price Realised
$12,500 AUD
Lupulnga (2008)
Size
117 × 121 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Deutscher and Hackett, Important Australian Aboriginal Art, Melbourne, 18 March 2020, Lot 22
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne (Cat. AK14811). Private Collection, Melbourne.
Price Realised
$29,000 AUD
Untitled (Lupulnga) (2008)
Size
107 × 91 cm
Medium
Synthetic polymer paint on linen
Auction
Mossgreen Auctions, Spinifex and Sand: The Tony Norton and Jann Williams Collection of Aboriginal Fine Art, Melbourne, 4 April 2016, Lot 26
Provenance
Papunya Tula Artists, Northern Territory (Catalogue No. MN0803069). Paul Johnstone Gallery, Darwin. Spinifex & Sand Collection, Tasmania.
Price Realised
$8,000 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.
Further Reading & Sources
Exhibition Catalogues and Museum Publications
Art Gallery of New South Wales. Tradition Today: Indigenous Art in Australia. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2004.
Art Gallery of New South Wales. Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2000.
National Gallery of Victoria. Clemenger Contemporary Art Award 2003. Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 2003. (Essay by Judith Ryan.)
Perkins, Hetti (ed.). One Sun One Moon: Aboriginal Art in Australia. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2007.
Perkins, Hetti et al. Tradition Today: Indigenous Art in Australia. Sydney: Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2004.
Ryan, Judith. Colour Power: Aboriginal Art Post-1984 in the Collection of the National Gallery of Victoria. Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria.
Ryan, Judith. Essays in Clemenger Contemporary Art Award 2003 and other National Gallery of Victoria publications discussing Makinti Napanangka’s painting practice.