Betty Muffler

Muffler was born near Watarru, South Australia, in 1944, of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara peoples. She grew up at the Ernabella Mission in Pukatja in the aftermath of the British nuclear tests at Maralinga and Operation Totem at Emu Field in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Seeing the deaths and dislocation caused by the tests has inspired much of her artwork, and she has expressed healing as a recurrent theme in her work. ==Artistic career==

Muffler only started to paint late in life, She works in several mediums, notably painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture. Nici Cumpston, curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art and artistic director of the Tarnanthi exhibitions at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in Adelaide, regards Muffler's "meteoric rise" as well-deserved, and included Muffler's work in the 2020 Open Hands exhibition, which was dedicated to the work of senior women artists in remote communities. in the form of specially-commissioned work, another iteration of Ngangkaṟi Ngura (Healing Country). The work featured on Vogue was hung in the Know My Name exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, having been gifted to the gallery by Vogue Australia. ==Healing practice==

Her traditional healing, or ngangkari, practice was taught to her by her aunties on her father's side of the family, and she uses her healing talents to work with the NPY Women’s Council and other medical practitioners on the APY Lands. She has also worked in hospitals in Adelaide, Coober Pedy, Whyalla and Alice Springs, helping to heal the spirits of anangu. She says that she doesn't always need to travel physically to the person, because her eagle spirit can fly across the desert looking for sick people. Her renown as a healer caused high demand for her work during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help heal anxiety in the APY Lands. ==Other roles==

Muffler is a director for Iwantja Arts, and a cultural advisor to the APY Collective, which comprises ten Indigenous-owned artistic enterprises. ==Recognition and awards==

• 2017: Winner, Telstra Emerging Artist Award at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) • 2020: Finalist, Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales ==Collections and exhibitions==

• Australian War Memorial, Ngangkari Ngura (Healing Country) (2017) ==Personal life==

Muffler married a man from Iwantja, and has two sons and a daughter there as well as family in Coober Pedy, and many grandchildren. ==References==