Biography

Sam Jampijnpa Mpetyan Dixon is a senior Anmatyerr artist from Utopia. Sam is the nephew of renowned Artist Angelina Ngale Pula, Brother of Artists Harry Mpetyan Dixon, Henry Petyarre Dixon and Cindy Mpetyan Dixon. Dixon was one of 8 children; they all lived together in a bush camp and worked at Utopia Station. “Hard work, station hand, stockmen.” Despite the hard work, Sam has fond memories of working on the station. Learning from his grandfather Camel Jack, who worked on the Stations with his camels, pulling bores and mustering cattle from Alice Springs. Sam tells stories of working with Motorbike Paddy, hanging on tight on the back of Paddy’s old chopper with the huge handlebars, while they were rounding up Brumby’s. “I mix up earth and glue to make paint”. Dixon began making paintings and carving in the early 2000’s. Dixon's Artworks tell stories of Arlparra country and wild possum dreaming, the imagery depicts his history and his surroundings, creating figures of stockmen, birds, bush tucker and self portraits of him as Ngangker, the bush doctor. “My Uncle teach me. I am the bush doctor and this is me, painted and dancing… Put him in your house, make you healthy.”