Johnny Possum Japaljarri

Johnny Possum Japaljarri was born near Willowra community in approximately 1940. His traditional country is Patirlirri (Rabbit Bore) which is to the far west of Willowra and several hours from Alice Springs in Central Australia. Johnny is the half brother of the late highly acclaimed Aboriginal artist Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. Johnny is a senior Warlpiri tribal elder and is highly respected.

Growing up in the bush, he worked for many years as a stockman on local cattle stations. He began painting in 1982 whilst working as a janitor at the local community school. He began to teach the children about their Dreamings. From here, he must have relished the opportunity to teach people because his life has been dedicated to teaching, performing and painting. He first began painting on artist board, boomerangs and shields and then moved to canvas.

His primary paintings involve his Dreamings, Ngatijirri (Budgerigar), which is a native small bird found around Australia, and Possum Dreaming. He also paints stories which are connected with his traditional lands around Willowra. He painted for Janganpa Artists in Alice Springs. His paintings reflect his tribal traditions and his maintained connection to his culture and belief system. Often his paintings depict traditional iconography and symbols from ceremonial patterns which are created on the ground suring initiation rituals.

He is also the co-founder, alongside Ted Egan, of the “Jangampa” Dance and Theatre Group. The Jangampa dancers are a troupe of Warlpiri and Anmatyerre singers, dancers, painters and film actors who perform their traditional dances. They have appeared in many films including Kings in Grass Castles, Rabbit Proof Fence and The Tracker. They have also been invited to perform all around Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Korea and Norway.

In 2004 he was involved in the CAAMA media production of “Boomerang Today”, a short documentary featuring four senior traditional elders from Yuelamu who talk about how they were taught to craft the number 7 boomerang (a hunting boomerang) with only natural bush materials. They are now teaching younger generations the same skills, although with some modern tools. These elders are keeping their traditional law and culture strong.

I (Sabine Haider, Director Central Art) met Johnny through Paddy Japaljarri. I immediately felt at ease, he has the most remarkable face, a wild man from the west! Although we never commissioned a painting from him, I enjoyed the friendship, story sharing and the hours he spent telling me about his childhood and when he first came into contact with a white person. These moments in time are just as important to me as the artwork he produces. He is a fine craftsman and entertainer.

Needless to say, Johnny Possum Japaljarri, is a talented and intelligent man. He is extremely creative, a one can forgive him for not having a “painting” artist career, he is a multi skilled man and shares his culture and beliefs through other art forms which can only be a positive thing for the rest of us.