William Sandy Biography

BORN: 1951 REGION: PAPUNYA-NORTHERN TERRITORY LANGUAGE GROUP: NGAANYATJARABorn near Ernabella in South Australia, in 1951, William Sandy lived in Areyonga and Haasts Bluff. Since 1973, William has lived with his family in Papunya, where he commenced painting in 1975.From the early 1980s, he began painting for the Papunya Tula artists after observing the skills of the older original artists. Some of his subjects are Dingo – (William’s personal totem animal), Snake, Water, Emu, Women and Green Bean (puya) and his latest, ‘Waru’ the Black Footed Rock Wallaby.From the time William arrived at Papunya he has worked for the Papunya Council and as a health worker for the Papunya Medical Service. William has recently ceased other employment to concentrate full-time on his painting. William Sandy is also a very knowledgeable, traditional medicine man. He is married to Violet Nakamarra, (deceased 2009) whom he had 4 children to. Violet was the sister of Internationally acclaimed artist Michael Nelson Jakamarra. William was the first of the Pitjantjatjara involved in the contemporary art movement.