Exhibition: Tjapaltjarri Brothers - The last nomads

Tjapaltjarri Brothers - The last nomads

Central Art is proud to present an exhibition of the collective works by the three Western Desert artists; Thomas, Walala and Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri. The Tjapaltjarri brothers were hailed as ‘the Last nomads’ in the international press when they and six of their relatives left their nomadic life in October 1984 and made contact with their Pintupi relatives at Kiwirrkurra for the first time in over twenty years. This was to be their first contact with the Western world.

Until this time, the brothers had lived a traditional life unchanged from the way their ancestors had lived for thousands of years. At Kiwirrkurra, they were introduced to the Papunya Tula Artists Cooperative and within three years they had become established Pintupi artists of the Western Desert. Their works became an immediate success. Within a year of commencing painting, Warlimpirrnga had his first exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne Australia. The entire collection of eleven works was acquired by the National Gallery.

In 2007, Sotheby's director of Aboriginal art Tim Klingender was quoted as saying: Of the younger generation, but one who I believe is one of the greatest painters of the desert at the moment is Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri. (NT News Feb 6th 2007). Sabine Haider, Director of Central Art wholeheartedly agrees.

The three brothers produce works that are brilliantly bold, minimal and abstract in design yet at the same time remaining traditional. They depict the Tingari Cycle, the collective of stories recounting their mythological ancestors and the sacred sites surrounding their homeland in the Western Desert. The brothers have been widely exhibited and collected in Australia and received international acclaim in the USA and France. This Central Art exhibition brings together the works from the Tjapaltjarri brothers, great artists in their own right.

The Tjapaltjarri Brothers - The Last Nomads exhibition runs from Monday September 1 until Tuesday September 30 2008.


(Photo: Nine Pintupi speakers who made national headlines on their first contact with white Australia © Newspix / News Ltd / 3rd Party Managed Reproduction & Supply Rights. Thomas, Walala and Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri are amongst the nine.)
Read the article The Last Nomads and learn more about the amazing story of the Tjapaltjarri brother’s journey from a traditional nomadic life to their first contact with the Western world as young men.

Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri Collections:
Kelton Foundation Collection, California, USA.
Macquarie Bank Collection, Sydney
Musee des Arts Africians et Oceaniens, Paris
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri Exhibitions:
2003 - Kintore Kiwirrkura, Melbourne.
2002 - 2005 - Native Title Business - Contemporary Indigenous Art, a national travelling exhibition.
1999 – Exhibition with Ray James Tjangala, Melbourne.
1993 - Aboriginal Art Exhibition
1991/92 - Friendly Country, Friendly People, Touring Exhibition, through Araluen Centre, Alice Springs.
1990 – l’ete Australien a Montpellier, Musee Fabre Gallery, Montpellier, France.
1989 - Mythscapes, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

Walala Tjapaltjarri Collections:
AMP Investments Australia, Sydney Australia
Axiom Funds Management, Sydney Australia
Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, Perth Australia
El Paso Energy International Co, Houston, Texas USA
Epic Energy Australia, Brisbane Australia.
Flinders University, Adelaide Australia
Gantner Myer Aboriginal Art Collection CNC International Corporation, Sydney Australia
Hastings Funds Management, Melbourne Australia.
Kaplan & Levi Collection, Seattle, U.S.A.
New South Wales Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A.

Walala Tjapaltjarri Solo Exhibitions:
1998 - Tingari - Men's Business, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney Australia
Walala Tjapaltjarri Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne Australia
Tingari Cycle an exhibition of works by Walala Tjapaltjarri, Fire-Works
Gallery, Brisbane Australia

Walala Tjapaltjarri Group Exhibitions:
2005 - Smoke: Campfire Group and other commissioned works, Fire-Works Gallery, Brisbane
2004 - Papunya: Painters of the Western Desert, Addison Galleries, NSW Peintres Pintupi, Galerie DAD, Mantes-la-Jolie, France
2000-01 - The Art of Place Exhibition, Australian Heritage Commission, National Tour 2000 - Walala Tjapaltjarri and Dr George Tjapaltjarri, Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Songlines: Walala Tjapaltjarri & Dorothy Napangardi, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England My Country - Journeys of our Ancestors Ancient Earth Indigenous Art, Cairns, Australia
Lines, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD; Landmarks Exhibition Dar Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Queensland Australia
Fifth National Indigenous Heritage Art Award, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra Australia
17th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia
Melbourne ArtFair 2000', Melbourne
1999 - Tingari Cycle, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
Spirit Country - The California Palace of the Legion of Honour, San Francisco, U.S.A; Recent Works by
Walala Tjapaltjarri and Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
Painting the Desert Alliance Francaise de Canberra and the French Embassy. Canberra, Australia
16th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin Australia
1998 - Tingari-My Dreaming, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, Australia
15th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin Australia
1997 - 14th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin Australia