Paddy Carroll is a Warlpiri artist born in the Yarrungkanyi in the Western Desert of Australia. During the Second World War, he served in the Australian Army with his two brothers and later worked as a carpenter and stockman. After moving to Papunya in the mid-1970s, he began to paint. Since then, he has gained his reputation as being amongst the foremost of the Western Desert artists.

Using concentric circles, dots, and other abstract shapes, Carroll’s paintings depict Dreaming Stories, the foundation of Australian Aboriginal culture. These stories detail the creation of the landscape, setting laws, and establishing ecosystems. Before artists like Carroll, these stories were passed down orally, through dance and song, acting as guides for social conduct, ethics, and sustainability. Since the 1970’s, Carroll and many other Aboriginal men have been working to paint these stories. In 1988, Carroll’s designs were included on the Bicentennial ten-dollar note in 1988.

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