Timmy Payungka Tjapangati facts for kids

Timmy Payungka (around 1942 – 7 May 2000) was an important Aboriginal Australian artist. He was a Pintupi man who worked at the famous Papunya Tula school of painting. Timmy was born at Parayirpilynga, a place near Lake Mackay in Western Australia.

He met his wife in Warburton. In the early 1960s, a welfare patrol found his family near Kintore, Northern Territory. They were then brought to Papunya. Timmy was one of the first artists to paint with Geoffrey Bardon. He moved to Kintore in 1981. Later, he helped set up the community at Kiwirrkura, which was closer to his traditional lands.

Timmy's Role as a Law Man

Timmy Payungka was a very important "law man" in his community. This means he knew a lot about his people's stories and traditions. He understood many ancient stories and rituals.

Daphne Williams from Papunya Tula once said that traveling with Timmy from Alice Springs to Kintore took much longer. This was because Timmy loved to stop often along the way. He would tell his companions the stories of the land they were passing through. He also taught his daughter, Lorna Napanangka, how to paint.

His Art and Exhibitions

Timmy Payungka's artwork was shown in a special exhibition. This solo show was held at the Aboriginal and South Pacific Gallery in Sydney.

One of his famous paintings is Kangaroo and Shield People Dreaming at Lake MacKay (1980). This painting shows a part of a sacred story for the men of his community.

Protecting Aboriginal Art

Timmy Payungka played a big part in a famous legal case in 1994. This case is known as the "carpets case". It was a successful lawsuit that helped protect Aboriginal art. The case was about copyright in Australia and Indigenous intellectual property.

A company in Perth had copied Timmy's painting, Kangaroo and Shield People Dreaming. They used his artwork to make designs for rugs in Vietnam without permission. Timmy, along with other artists like Banduk Marika and George Milpurrurru, won the case. This helped show that Aboriginal artists own the rights to their art.

Later Life and Legacy

Timmy Payungka also worked to help his Pintupi people resettle their traditional homelands. This was important for keeping their culture and connection to the land strong.

In his later years, Timmy lived in Alice Springs. His wife, Emily, often helped him with his painting. Timmy Payungka passed away on 7 May 2000. His art and his work to protect Aboriginal culture continue to be important.

See also

• Indigenous Australian art