Early Life
Mrs. E. Giles (dec.) was born circa 1946 and grew up in the desert living the traditional Ngaanyatjarra nomadic lifestyle with her family group. After the death of her father, her family moved to the then newly established government settlement of Papunya.
She returned to live in her country with family members as part of the homelands movement which saw many Western Desert people leave these government settlements and return to their traditional Country.
Skilled basket weaver and exceptional painter
Like Tjawina Porter, Mrs. E. was known for her skills as a traditional basket weaver before becoming recognised for her exceptional painting skills later in life. Her artworks represent the traditional homelands associated with her people's ancestral heritage.
Her works are rich with a lifetime of knowledge, manifesting on the canvas as abstracted representations of the topography of her ngurra (desert homelands). She often depicts tali (sand dunes) and puli (rock escarpments), as well as waterholes and food sources.
Her designs are used in body art during traditional corroborees. The artworks depict the physical markings that the ancient ancestors have provided to give evidence of their activities on the lands during the time of creation.
In the years that Mrs. E. painted, she gained worldwide recognition, participating in many national and international solo and group exhibitions. Her works are represented in private and public collections in Australia, Europe and the USA.