Sharon Numina
Utopia • Central Desert Artist – Darwin, NT
Sharon Numina is one of the highly regarded younger members of the renowned Numina Sisters, a celebrated group of desert artists recognised for their vibrant storytelling and strong cultural lineage. Born in 1981, Sharon completed her schooling at Kormilda College in Darwin and is one of six sisters and two brothers.
Sharon’s mother, Barbara Price Mbitjana, is a respected elder and painter from Stirling Station near Tennant Creek. She taught all her daughters the traditions of painting, cultural knowledge, and the stories inherited from Country. Sharon’s late father was from Utopia, further strengthening her connection to one of Australia’s most significant artistic regions.
Her work draws from both her mother’s and father’s Country, depicting important Dreaming narratives such as Bush Tucker, Goanna, and Dingo Tracks, among many other ancestral motifs. Sharon, her sisters, and her mother come from a distinguished family line within the Central Desert art movement. Their wider artistic lineage includes their celebrated aunts, Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre, who are internationally recognised for their contributions to contemporary Aboriginal art.
Sharon now lives and paints in Darwin alongside several of her sisters, continuing the strong Numina legacy with a style admired for its movement, detail, and cultural depth.
This artwork represents the Bush Medicine Leaves, one of the most important native healing plants found throughout Central Australia. Traditionally, women from Utopia travel across Country to collect these leaves, gathering them in large coolamons before returning to camp.
The leaves are boiled to extract their resin, which is then mixed with kangaroo fat to create a powerful medicinal paste. This traditional remedy is used to treat cuts, bites, rashes and skin irritations, and also serves as a natural insect repellent—an essential tool for desert living.
Through her Bush Medicine Leaves paintings, Sharon honours the spirit of the medicine plant and its ongoing role in protecting and healing her community. The flowing movement of her brushwork represents both the leaves themselves and the renewal of Country, carrying the hope that this important plant continues to flourish for future generations.
This series is highly sought after for its cultural significance, beautiful movement, and connection to the rich Numina family tradition, making it a meaningful and collectable addition to any space.
