Harry Tjutjuna facts for kids

Harry Tjutjuna is a famous Aboriginal artist from central Australia. He belongs to the Pitjantjatjara people. Harry Tjutjuna started painting in 2005. His first art show was in 2007 in Darwin.

Today, his artwork is in many big art galleries in Australia. These include the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the National Gallery of Australia. His painting Ninuku Tjukurpa (Bilby Dreaming Story) was a finalist for an art award in 2009. Another painting, Wati Nyiru munu Wati Wanka, was chosen as a finalist for two major awards in 2010 and 2011. These were the Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards and the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA).

Harry Tjutjuna's Life Story

Harry Tjutjuna was born around 1930. He was born in the bushland near Pipalyatjara, South Australia. This is in the northwest part of South Australia. People have different ideas about his exact birthplace. Some say it was at Walytjatjara, in the Northern Territory. Others say he was born at Mount Davies, a hill near Pipalyatjara.

Early Life and Community Work

When Harry was young, his family moved to Ernabella. He went to school at the mission there. Later, he worked as a helper for the community. He then moved back west to live in the communities of Irrunytju and Pipalyatjara. He moved there with his wives and children. They wanted to be closer to his homeland, which is the land his family comes from.

As he got older, Harry Tjutjuna became very important to the Pitjantjatjara people. He was known as a traditional healer (ngangkaṟi). He was also a respected law man (wati puḻka).

How He Started Painting

Harry Tjutjuna began painting in late 2005. He was in his mid-seventies at the time. He was living in Ernabella again. He started painting for Ernabella Arts, which is the community's art company. His early paintings showed Tjukurpa. These are traditional laws or stories from the Dreamtime. His art helped other artists at the center. They started painting more spiritual subjects instead of everyday ones. In 2008, Harry Tjutjuna moved back to Pipalyatjara. He then started working for Ninuku Arts.

Harry Tjutjuna's Artwork

Harry Tjutjuna's paintings show ideas and stories from his Dreaming. His main personal totem is a spider (waṉka). His Dreaming stories are mostly about the Wati Waṉka Tjukurpa (Spider Man Dreaming).

Spider Man Dreaming

According to his Dreaming, which was passed down from his ancestors, Harry Tjutjuna's ancestor is a powerful being called the Spider Man. This Spider Man is believed to have created Harry Tjutjuna's country in the Dreamtime. Because of this, Harry Tjutjuna connects his land, his family history, and himself to these beliefs. His paintings tell these traditional stories. They also tell his own life story. Harry Tjutjuna sees himself as the Spider Man. His paintings often show his work as a ngangkaṟi (healer). Since his totem is a spider, he uses spider webs to help treat skin wounds.

Other Dreaming Stories in His Art

Harry Tjutjuna also paints figures from other Dreaming stories. These stories are linked to his country. Some examples are the Wati Maḻu (Red Kangaroo Man) and the Kungka Mingkiri (Mice Women).

One of Harry Tjutjuna's most famous paintings is Wati Nyiru munu Wati Wanka. This painting combines two Dreaming stories. It shows the story of the Kungkarungkara (Seven Sisters). This story is about the constellations of Pleiades (the Sisters) and Orion. Harry Tjutjuna painted this story from the male's point of view. The painting was a finalist for two major art awards in 2010 and 2011.

Painting Style and Meaning

Harry Tjutjuna paints in the usual style of the Western Desert. This style can look very abstract. The figures in his paintings, which are ancestral beings, are hidden or coded for cultural reasons. He uses many dots to show how these beings interact. Lines show their journeys across the land.

He uses earthy colors from the desert in his paintings. These include reds, oranges, ochres, and white. In his paintings about Wati Waṉka, he often paints circular patterns in the background. This pattern can mean both a spider's web and the spider man's many women. Harry Tjutjuna is also known for his drip paintings.