GLORIA PANNKA is a senior Western Arrarnta woman who lives in Thakaperte (Near Hamilton Downs). She is a second generation Hermannsburg School watercolour artist, as her father Claude Pannka was one of the original Hermannsburg School watercolour artists.

Like his contemporary Albert Namatjira, Claude developed an interest in painting when artist Rex Battarbee visited Hermannsburg in 1934. By 1950 Claude was painting full time and had become a highly sought after artist. Gloria’s father taught her to paint with watercolours when she was a young girl, and she continues to paint in the style of watercolour landscapes that typifies the Hermannsburg School tradition.
Gloria uses fine detail and subtle tones to capture the West MacDonnell Ranges where she currently lives and paints. Gloria’s work has featured in a number of exhibitions throughout her career. In 2008 she received a Highly Commended award for her painting in the NATSIAA awards which was then acquired by the NT Museum and Art Gallery. Gloria’s work ‘West MacDonnell Ranges’ was also acquired by the Parliament House Art Collection Canberra. Her paintings are exhibited in the Art Gallery of New South Wales and in many public and private collections. Gloria was again Highly Commended at the NATSIAA awards in 2014 for the collaborative Knara Nunaka Tjurretja – Our big country: the West Mac Donnell Ranges.

Exhibitions:

• 2003 Desert Mob Exhibition, Alice Springs. Painting acquired by Araluen Art Gallery
• 2004 Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs.
• 2004 Affordable Art Exhibition, Melbourne. Courtesy Alcaston Gallery
• 2005 NAIDOC Week Exhibition. The Highway Gallery, Mount Waverley, Victoria
• 2005 Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs.
• 2006 Hermannsburg School of Art – Watercolour Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs
• 2006 Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs
• 2007 Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs
• 2008 Indigenart, Subiaco WA 
• 2008 Highly Commended, NATSIAA, Darwin, NT
• 2008 Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs
• 2008 CCAE, A New Beginning Exhibition, Darwin NT
• 2009 Telstra Art Awards, Darwin, Northern Territory
• 2011 Namatjira: Regeneration, Metropolis Gallery, Geelong
• 2012 Damien Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW

• 2012 The Lockup, Newcastle, NSW
• 2012 Regional Art Gallery, Burnie, TAS
• 2012 Art Mob, Launceston, TAS
• 2012 Art Mob, Hobart, TAS
• 2012 Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston, VIC
• 2012 Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
• 2012 Talapi Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
• 2012 Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, NT Collections
• 2007 Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs NT
• 2008 Parliament House, Canberra
• 2010 Australian National University
• 2012 Shadow and Light, CCAE, Darwin, NT
• 2012 The Beyond Billabong Fundraiser, QLD
• 2013 The Namatjira Legacy, Tali Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2013 Customs House Library, NAIDOC week 2013, in collaboration with the City of Sydney and Tali Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2013 Contemporary Aboriginal Art From Australia, Château de l’Etang, Paris
• 2013 Living Watercolours, Southbank Centre, London
• 2014 Five Generations: The Strength of Namatjira’s Legacy, Araluen Galleries, NT
• 2014 RightNow, Boomalli, Sydney, NSW
• 2014 Regeneration, Metropolis Gallery, Geelong, VIC
• 2014 Women Artists of the Hermannsburg School of Art, The Residency, Alice Springs, NT
• 2014 Namatjira to Now, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT
• 2014 Country in Colour, AIATSIS, Canberra, ACT
• 2015 Hermannsburg Horizons, Wooloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
• 2015 The Namatjira Collection, RAFT art space, Alice Springs, NT
• 2015 The Namatjira Collection, TARNANTHI, Art Gallery of SA (AGSA), Adelaide, SA
• 2016 Abducted! Alcaston Gallery, VIC
• 2017 A Widening Gap: The Intervention, 10 Years On, The Cross Art Projects, Sydney, NSW
• 2017 Pmara Nurnakanha Parta-Kurta, ANU Photospace Gallery, ACT
• 2017 ArtGeo Complex Exhibition, Busselton, WA
• 2017 Pmara Nurnakanha Parta-Kurta, Wooloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
• 2017 What if this photograph is by Albert Namatjira? TARNANTHI, Art Gallery of SA (AGSA), Adelaide, SA
• 2017 The Namatjira Project Auction, Art Gallery of SA (AGSA), Adelaide, SA

Special Projects:

• 2011 – 2014 The Namatjira Play, Big hArt production
• 2014 Public Art, Mural at the Alice Plaza, Alice Springs
• 2014 Knara Nunaka Tjurretja – Our Big Country: The West MacDonnell Ranges, Highly commended at the 31st Telstra Arts Awards
• 2015 Print Workshop Honorary Guest, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra
• 2016 Parrtjima, Festival of Light, Alice Springs (Ground projection)
• 2017 Parrtjima, Festival of Light, Alice Springs, (Honouring Space)
• 2017 Google Doodle design 
• 2017 NMA Honorary Guest and exhibition launch, Canberra