Mention the name Bombatu to advocate of indigenous arts and all of a sudden, everyone in the room is listening. Why has Bombatu become synonymous with cultural identity within the portfolio of important indigenous painters? Born circa 1955 in Winron, Pintupi country across the Western Australian border east of Kiwirrkura.  She grew up in the bush, living a traditional way of life with her family.  Bombatu’s family members were closely connected to the first generation of aboriginal dot painters that started in 1971 at Papunya under the tutelage of Geoffrey Bardon. Before this time, dot paintings were produced in the form of ceremonial ground mosaic. As such she started learning to paint at a young age. The traditional ways of mixing colours and laying stories onto canvas were all inherited down the family line to Bombatu. The skills and techniques Bombatu learnt by watching the old people paint are all evident in the superb quality and style of her work.  Her paintings are typical of the men and women from early Kintore displaying a landscape of brilliant earthy colours and magnificent shimmering three dimensional qualities. The artist celebrates with visual splendour and precision and now passes on to her daughter’s Teresa and Christine Nangala who are apprenticed to her and so the dreamtime continues on through future generations.