Exhibition On Now: Central Art Aboriginal Art Store presents Tjapaltjarri Brothers - The Last Nomads

Thomas Tjapaltjarri, Tingari Cycle, Central Art Aboriginal Art Store, 2008

Posted by Aboriginal Art Directory | 12.09.08

Website: http://www.aboriginalartstore.com.au/exhibitions/tjapaltjarri-brothers-the-last-nomads/tjapaltjarri-brothers-the-last.php

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, Walala 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).

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.

Opening: Exhibition Online Now
Continuing: until 30 September 2008

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