Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri facts for kids
Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri (born around 1927 near Ilpitirri and passed away in September 2015) was a very important artist. He was one of the best-known painters from the Western Desert Art Movement in Australia.
Billy's mother died when he was very young, during a difficult time in 1928. His father was away hunting and survived. Billy was then raised by his auntie on Napperby Station. His auntie was also the mother of another famous artist, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. In the 1960s, Billy worked as a cook in Papunya. Many Pintupi people were moving there from the western desert at that time.
Like Clifford, Billy started his art career by carving wooden animals. He made these for people to buy as crafts. Billy is also known for being one of the artists who painted the Honey Ant Dreaming story on the wall of the Papunya School. He did this at the request of Geoff Bardon. In the 1970s, Billy was one of the first leaders of the Papunya Tula art company.
Later, Tjapaltjarri moved west to Ilili. He was a pioneer in the "country camp movement," which helped people live on their traditional lands. In his later years, he spent a lot of time in Alice Springs. In 1988, he traveled to New York City for a special art show called "Dreamings" at the Asia Society. There, he and Michael Nelson Jagamarra created a sand painting as part of the exhibition.
Where You Can See His Art
Billy Tjapaltjarri's artworks are held in important collections across Australia and the United States:
- National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
- Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, United States
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