Region: Kiwirrukurra – Western Australia

Language group: Pintupi

Walala was part of the famous “Lost Tribe” of 1984. At this time, Walala and eight other Pintupi relatives ”came from the bush” to be in contact with western society for the first time. The event made international headlines, arousing many feelings of curiosity and amazement worldwide. Prior to this, Walala and his relatives lived a nomadic life, surviving off the land.

His brother, Warlimpirrnga, who has also achieved international recognition for his art, subsequently introduced Walala to painting. Walala paints the “Tingari Cycle”, an important Dreaming for the Pintupi people. In the Dreamtime, the Tingari ancestors are said to have travelled through the land in the central and western desert areas, creating particular sites and teaching some Aboriginal law. The Tingari Cycle incorporates the sacred sites visited along the way, and also refers to the song cycles which describes and connect the artist to this journey.

Walala paints traditional Pintupi designs, combining them with his own unique and boldly graphic style. He incorporates many Dreaming sites in his paintings, including Wilkinkarra, Maruwa, Tarrku, Njami and Yarrawangu. These sites represent important rockholes, sandhills, landforms, water soakages and ceremonial sites found throughout the Gibson Desert. His paintings have gained international recognition.

Collections:

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

Exhibitions:

• 1997 – 14th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
• 1998 – “Tingari – Men’s Business”, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney
• 1998 – “Walala Tjapaltjarri Paintings”, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
• 1998 – “Tingari Cycle – an exhibition of works by Walala Tjapaltjarri”, Fire-works Gallery, Brisbane
• 1998 – “Tingari – My Dreaming”, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
• 1998 – 15th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
• 1999 – “Tingari Cycle”, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
• 1999 – “Spirit Country”, The California Palace of the Legion of Honour, San Francisco, USA
• 1999 – “Recent Works by Walala Tjapaltjarri and Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri”, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
• 1999 – “Painting the Desert”, Alliance Francaise de Canberra and the French Embassy, Canberra
• 1999 – 16th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
• 2000 – “Walala Tjapaltjarri and Dr George Tjapaltjarri”, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
• 2000 – “Songlines: Walala Tjapaltjarri and Dorothy Napangardi”, Rebecca Hossask Gallery, London
• 2000 – “My Country – Journeys of our Ancestors Ancient Earth Indigenous Art”, Cairns
• 2000 – “Lines”, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
• 2000 – Landmarks Exhibition Dar Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, QLD
• 2000 – 5th National Indigenous Heritage Art Award, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra
• 2000 – 17th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
• 2000 – “Melbourne Art Fair 2000″, Melbourne
• 2000-2001 – The Art of Place Exhibition, Australian Heritage Commission, National Tour
• 2004 – “Papunya: Painters of the Western Desert”, Addison Galleries, NSW Peintres Pintupi Galerie DAD, Mantes-la-Jolie, France
• 2005 – “Smoke: Campfire Group and other commissioned works”, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane

Source:

Kreczmanski, Janusz B & Birnberg, Margo (eds.): Aboriginal Artists: Dictionary of Biographies: Central Desert, Western Desert & Kimberley Region (JB Publishing Australia, Marleston, 2004)