23/05/2026
There’s some people you meet in life that instantly feel like family, and Sharon Napanangka Butcher is one of those people.
Sharon is an incredible artist, mother, grandmother and one of the best storytellers you could ever sit beside. Every trip with Sharon somehow turns into hours of stories, laughter and learning. She’s taught me so much about culture, Papunya, family, country and the stories and protocols passed down to her by her parents and aunties.
Sharon paints her Bush Banana Dreaming, a story taught to her by her auntie. Her auntie’s painting hangs proudly at Alice Springs Airport and every single time I fly through, I send Sharon a photo of it. Straight away she’ll start telling the story again, how the painting came to be there, who painted it and all the memories attached to it.
Storytelling and music run deep in Sharon’s family. Her brothers, including Sammy Butcher from the Warumpi Band, helped shape Indigenous music in Australia and brought stories from country to people all over the world.
One of my favourite memories was travelling with Sharon to the Gold Coast for an exhibition. We were walking past a gallery when suddenly there was Sharon’s painting, hanging right at the front window. Sharon stood there so proudly beside her work, telling me the story behind the painting and the time in her life when she painted it. We ended up going inside, introducing ourselves to the gallery owner and having the biggest yarn.
Over the years Sharon has become family to me. She is nurturing, funny, strong and carries so much knowledge. Spending time with Sharon is something really special and it’s an honour to share her stories and paintings with the world.
You can view Sharon’s entire collection on our website ❤️ Link in bio 🫶🏽