Robin Kankapankatja facts for kids

Robin Kankapankatja (born around 1930) is an Australian Aboriginal artist. For most of his life, he worked as a labourer and helped protect nature. He is a senior traditional owner and manager of Walalkara. This is a special homeland and protected area on the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands. Robin started painting in 2004 when he was in his 70s. His amazing artworks are now displayed in many big art galleries across Australia.

Robin Kankapankatja's Life Story

Robin was born in a place called Walalkara. This area is in the Great Victoria Desert, close to Kaltjiti in South Australia. His father was a Pitjantjatjara man from the land west of Watarru. His mother was a Yankunytjatjara woman from Makiri, which is northwest of Walalkara.

Growing Up in the Bush

Robin grew up living a traditional life. His family moved around the Kaltjiti area. He was a young teenager when he first saw a white person. As a young man, he worked on cattle stations. These were at places like Welbourne Hill and Everard Park.

Returning to Walalkara

Later in his life, Robin moved back to Walalkara. He set up an outstation there for his family. An outstation is like a small community on their traditional lands. He lives there with his wife, Tyayangka, and their children.

Robin Kankapankatja is the main traditional owner of Walalkara. This means he has a special connection and responsibility to the land. The people living at this outstation are all part of his family. They help manage the Walalkara Indigenous Protected Area. This is a large protected area of the Great Victoria Desert. It covers about 700,000 square kilometres. The Australian government works with Robin's family to protect this land.

Until 2008, Robin and his wife Tyayangka worked as rangers for the reserve. Rangers are like guardians of the land. When they retired, their children took over the important job of managing the area.

Robin Kankapankatja's Artworks

Robin started creating art in July 2004. He began painting while he was recovering from surgery at home. His paintings and drawings tell stories about Walalkara. They show the beautiful landscape, the animals, and the spiritual Dreaming stories connected to the land. He also carves traditional tools. These include boomerangs, spears, spear-throwers, and shields.

Art Exhibitions

Since 2006, Robin's art has been shown in many exhibitions. His work is often displayed alongside other artists from Kaltjiti. In 2007, his art was featured at the Mossenson Galleries in Collingwood, Victoria.

His work was also part of the yearly Desert Mob exhibition in Alice Springs. This happened in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. His art was also shown in Adelaide. It was at the Flinders University City Gallery in 2009 and the South Australian Museum in 2010.

In 2012, the Cross Cultural Art Exchange in Darwin held a special show just for Robin's art. The exhibition was called Nyangatja ngayuku aṟa irititja. This means "this is my life from long ago." It showed many drawings of Robin's memories. These included growing up in the bush and stories of his ancestors' journeys.

In the same year, his art was shown at the annual Our Mob exhibition in Adelaide. It was also part of a Kaltjiti Arts exhibition at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. His art even traveled to Germany. It was shown at the ArtKelch gallery in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Where to Find His Art

Examples of Robin's artwork are kept in important collections. These include the Araluen Arts Centre, Flinders University, and the National Gallery of Australia. Other pieces are in the national Artbank collection. Many private collections also own his art, like the Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi in Melbourne.