Jimmy Donegan

Jimmy Donegan (born around 1940) is an Aboriginal Australian artist. His painting Papa Tjukurpa munu Pukara won the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2010. He speaks Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra. She was born in 1969 at the Warburton Ranges of Western Australia. As a young girl she lived in Amata. During the late 1970s and the "Homeland Movement", her family moved to Pipalyatjara to be closer to traditional home lands. Like many other Anangu (people of Pitjantjatjara land) families, Melissa's moved frequently between the communities of Irrunytju, Pipalyatjara and Amata.

As an adult she moved to Blackstone, a remote community in Western Australia. It was in Blackstone where she began her career as a painter and was involved in crafting the 'Tjanpi Toyota'; a life size replica of a Toyota Landcruiser made from woven grass. The Tjanpi Toyota was a project she worked on alongside her mother and sister. Today Melissa lives with her family in Kalka where she continues to paint. Her paintings are often inspired by 'tjukurpa' (traditional stories), including those associated with 'Wati Kutjarra' and 'Kungkarrakalpa'. She is also a dedicated arts worker at Ninuku Arts Centre.

As an artist Donegan began painting professionally about 2000.

Other websites Jimmy Donegan at Ninuku Arts