Betty Muffler
Artwork title: Ngangkari Ngura (Healing Country)
Medium: acrylic on linen
Size: 152 × 122 cm
Year: 2025
$29,000
About the Artwork
I am a ngangkari (healer), and it is as a ngangkari that I paint. The eagle is my father’s spirit – it has a special vision that I can use. I’m also a painter of emus, which are a significant part of my birthplace; I paint their tracks belonging to the site, Yalungu. I also paint hands, the hands of a healer, and the eagle that I have inside. If a person’s spirit is absent, then I will send the eagle out to see, as I wait. Then it can be returned, the person is awakened [laughs with joy] – healed!
About the Artist
Betty Muffler is a highly respected senior woman and artist. Her practice spans painting, drawing, printmaking and tjanpi (native grass) weaving. Betty is a renowned ngangkari (traditional healer) and alongside a rigorous art practice, Betty works extensively with NPY Women’s Council and medical practitioners to support Anangu to good health and through times of crisis.
Photo: Rohan Thomson