Pantjiti Mary McLean

Pantjiti Mary McLean ( – 1 July 2023) was an Australian Ngaatjajarra Aboriginal artist.

Life Pantjiti Mary McLean was born circa 1930 in Kaltukatjara, Docker River, Western Australia. She met her husband Mr. Bates at Blackstone. In the 1950s she left the Western Desert walking with her husband and son to the Warburton Ranges, and then to Cosmo Newbury in the Eastern Goldfields. According to government policy of that time local Aboriginal children were to be raised and schooled by the missionaries at Mount Margaret Mission where McLean's son went too. When McLean's daughter was born, she was also taken away from her.

Art During the 1980s McLean produced craftworks and traditional paintings. The same year a sell-out exhibition of her work in Fremantle launched her career. Throughout the 1990s she worked with artist Nalda Searles as part of the Healthway Fringe Camp Project and developed her distinctive painterly style. McLean's paintings are represented in all major public and many private collections around Australia. Art Gallery of New South Wales Australian Capital Equity Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia City of Fremantle City of Perth Cruthers Collection of Women's Art Edith Cowan University Holmes à Court Collection Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory National Gallery of Australia, Canberra National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Queensland State Art Gallery Tandanya Aboriginal Arts Centre, Adelaide University of Wollongong