Walala Tjapaltjarri facts for kids

Walala Tjapaltjarri (born Walala Tjapangati) is an important Indigenous Australian artist. He is known for his unique paintings that show stories from his culture.

Growing Up in the Desert

Walala Tjapaltjarri was born in the late 1960s or early 1970s. His birthplace was Marua, a place near Lake Mackay in Western Australia. He grew up living a traditional life in the desert. His family moved from place to place, following ancient customs. They had never met people from modern Australian society.

Walala's family was very isolated. They had never seen a white person. When they saw aeroplanes flying overhead, they thought they might be spirits. Walala's father, Lanti, had briefly lived at a Christian mission in Balgo. But he chose to return to the desert and kept his family far from towns.

Walala's mother was Watjunka. He was her only child. He also had two other mothers, Papunya and Nanu. They were his father's other wives and his mother's sisters. Walala's father and Watjunka both passed away when he was young.

In October 1984, Walala's family finally met outsiders. They settled in a community called Kiwirrkurra. Walala and his family became famous as the last Aboriginal people to live a traditional, nomadic life in Australia.

Today, Walala is married and has two children. He lives in different places, including Kiwirrkura, Alice Springs, and Yuendumu. His wife is from Yuendumu. He often paints at a place called Hoppy's Camp, which is outside Alice Springs.

Walala's Art and Style

Walala Tjapaltjarri started painting in December 1987. This was a few years after he settled in Kiwirrkurra. His cousin, Warlimpirrnga, taught him how to use paints and canvas.

Walala joined a group of artists called Papunya Tula. He, Thomas, and Warlimpirrnga became known around the world as the Tjapaltjarri Brothers. Even though he uses Tjapaltjarri as his last name for art, his traditional skin name is Tjapangati. He sometimes uses a mix of paint and traditional pigments on paper.

Stories in His Paintings

Walala's paintings tell stories from the Tingari cycle. These are sacred and secret songs about the ancestors of the Pintupi people. The paintings often show places that are important to his traditional country. These places include Marruwa, Mintarnpi, Wanapatangu, Mina Mina, Naami, Yarrawangu, and Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay). These were places where ancestors stopped for ceremonies during their travels.

Walala uses acrylic paints on canvas. He usually uses only a few colors, often earthy ochre tones. These colors reflect the desert landscape where he grew up.

How His Style Changed

When Walala first started painting, he used the "dot" style. This was common for Papunya Tula artists. But in the late 1990s, his style changed. He started painting strong, solid lines and rectangles. These replaced the dotted lines he used before.

Exhibitions and Collections

Walala's first art show was in 1997. It was part of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in Darwin. Most of his artwork is shown in exhibitions with other Aboriginal artists.

His paintings are kept in art collections in Australia, Europe, and the United States. Walala paints more often than his two brothers. When he paints regularly, he can earn a lot of money for his artworks. His paintings often sell for thousands of dollars.