Trephina Sultan was born in 1967 in Alice Springs. Trephina grew up with many uncles, aunties and cousins doting on her as a beautiful young Aboriginal girl, being the only child in her family.

With her mother and aunty a big influence in her life, Trephina was educated at the English speaking school in Alice Springs. Even though English became Trephina’s first language, she was taught Luritja, the language of her family and Elders at home. Trephina, in her own words, had the best of both worlds.

Trephina’s painting talents started at a very young age. As a young girl she used to sit and watch her uncles, aunties, cousins and friends paint for hours at a time and she recalls that she would pick up a stick and doing drawings in the dirt.

Acknowledged as a Luritja language specialist, she did work as an interpreter and in conjunction with colleagues and the Alice Springs Institute for Aboriginal Development, was a valuable contributor to an Aboriginal-English dictionary. However, Trephina’s main passion is painting and starting with the traditional ‘dot style’ she produced many paintings that have been brought by friends, locals and tourist. Over the last couple of years, Trephina has been turning her hand to more abstract pieces, becoming well known for her ‘Tjanpi Kampanyi’ (Burning Grass) and her ‘Desert Honey’.

Many of her works has been created under the name of Trephina Sultan. Although she still continues to use this name on different works, some of her works will also bear her Aboriginal name of ‘Thanguwa’. The equivalent meaning in English is ‘scent’.

Trephina has her own website www.thanguwa.com and www.trephinasultan.com where visitors can view many of the different styles of artwork she has created over the years.

We at Deadly Art Online are pleased to be able to offer paintings by Trephina Sultan Thanguwa for sale through this website. Most pieces you see on Gallery Thanguwa are held by us and will be dispatched once a sale price is accepted and payment received.

Currently Trephina has no mobile access. Messages can be sent to her via email through this website. If you wish to negotiate the sale price of an existing artwork display on Gallery Thanguwa, you can send your offer by email to us at Deadly Art Online. You will be advised of the acceptance of any reasonable offer.