Anatjari Tjakamarra facts for kids

Anatjari Tjakamarra (born around 1930, died 1992) was an important Aboriginal artist from Central Australia. He was part of a famous art group called Papunya Tula. He came from a place called Kulkuta, which is southeast of Kiwirrkura in Western Australia. He was a Pintupi man.

He moved to Papunya in early 1966 from the Western Desert. He was working as a school gardener in Papunya. In the early 1970s, Geoffrey Bardon encouraged the men there to paint using new materials. Later, in the 1980s, Anatjari also explored photo art. He had many art exhibits around the world.

Anatjari left Papunya when many people started moving back to their traditional lands. He helped set up a new community called Tjukula in Western Australia. This place was southeast of where he was born and close to the Northern Territory border. For much of the 1980s, he worked and sold his art on his own.

The Life of Anatjari Tjakamarra

Early Life and Art Beginnings

Anatjari Tjakamarra was born around 1930. He grew up in the Western Desert region of Australia. He moved to Papunya, a community in the Northern Territory, in 1966. At Papunya, he worked as a gardener for the local school.

In the early 1970s, an art teacher named Geoffrey Bardon arrived. Bardon encouraged the Aboriginal men to use Western art materials. This included things like canvas and paint. Anatjari was one of the artists who began painting during this exciting time. In the 1980s, he also started creating photo art. His work was shown in many art exhibits around the world.

Working Independently

Anatjari left Papunya when many people started moving back to their traditional lands. This was part of a movement called the outstation movement. He helped establish a new community called Tjukula. This community was in Western Australia, near his birthplace. It was also close to the border of the Northern Territory.

During much of the 1980s, Anatjari worked independently. This means he created and sold his art by himself. He was not working through a big art company at that time.

Later Career and Recognition

Later in the 1980s, Anatjari settled in Kiwirrkura. After moving there, he began working with Papunya Tula Pty Ltd again. This company helps Aboriginal artists sell their work.

He had his first solo art show in 1989 at the Gabrielle Pizzi Gallery. A solo show means all the art was made by him. In the same year, he had another show in New York. A very important museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, bought his painting. The painting was called Tingari Dreaming Cycle. This was a big moment because it was the first time a major international museum bought a contemporary Aboriginal artwork.

Anatjari's art is now held in many important collections. These include the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT). His work is also in the Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria. The Art Gallery of New South Wales holds two of his works. The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia also has his art.