Region: Lake McKay (Western Desert)

Language Group: Pintupi

b. 1960

Walala was born in the early 1960s at Marua to the east of Kiwirrkurra in the Gibson Desert.

In late 1984, Walala and eight other relatives of the Pintupi Tribe walked out of the desert in Western Australia and made contact for the first time with European society. Described as 'The Lost Tribe', he and his family created international headlines. Until this time Walala and his family lived the traditional and nomadic life of a hunter-gatherer society. Their intimate knowledge of the land, its flora and fauna and waterholes allowed them to survive, as their ancestors had for thousands of years. It is this sacred landscape with its significant sites that Walala so strikingly describes in his paintings.

Walala Tjapaltjarri was first introduced to painting by his brother Warlimpirrnga, also a painter of international acclaim. Walala's first paintings were in the classical Tingari style, a series of sacred and secret mythological songs which is associated with his Dreaming sites. In 1996 he developed his own style of work. He began abstracting the classical Pintupi designs, creating a highly graphic language to speak of his country and ceremonial sites. The rectangles so prominent in his paintings form both a physical and spiritual map.

His style is strongly gestural and boldly graphic, one that is generally highlighted by a series of rectangles set against a monochrome background. He paints the Tingari Cycle a series of sacred and secret mythological song cycles which are associated with the artist's many dreaming sites - they are Wilkinkarra, Maruwa, Tarrku, Njami and Yarrawangu, to name a few. These Dreamings are the locations of significant rockholes, sandhills, sacred mountains and water soakages in the Gibson Desert.

Walala has gained worldwide recognition, participating in several national and international solo and group exhibitions. His paintings are represented in private and public collections in Australia, Europe and the U.S.A. Walala has been painting for Mem Aziz redrock gallery, in Melbourne since 2000.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

• 1997 "14th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award", Darwin, N.T.

• 1998 "Tingari-My Dreaming", Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, W.A.

• 1998 "15th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award", Darwin, N.T.

• 1998 Tingari - Men's Business', Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney, NSW.

• 1998 Walala Tjapaltjarri Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC.

• 1998 'Tingari Cycle' an exhibition of works by Walala Tjapaltjarri, Fire-Works Gallery, Brisbane, QLD.

• 1998 15th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award', Darwin, N.T.

• 1999 "Spirit Country"; The California Palace of the Legion of Honour, San Francisco, U.S.A.

• 1999 "Painting the Desert"; Alliance Francaise de Canberra and the French Embassy. Canberra, A.C.T.

• 1999 "Recent Works by Walala Tjapaltjarri and Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri", Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London.

• 1999 "Tingari Cycle", Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

• 1999 16th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Darwin, N.T.

• 2000 "Lines", Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

• 2000 "My Country - Journeys of our Ancestors", Ancient Earth Indigenous Art, Cairns, QLD.

• 2000 "Walala Tjapatjarri and Dr George Tjapaltjarri", Cooee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW.

• 2000 "Landmarks Exhibition", Dar Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse, Queensland

• 2000 "Fifth National Indigenous Heritage Art Award", Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra

• 2000-01 "The Art of Place Exhibition", Australian Heritage Commission, National Tour

• 2000 "Songlines: Walala Tjapaltjarri & Dorothy Napangardi ", Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London, England

• 2000 "17th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award", Darwin, N.T.

• 2000 "Melbourne ArtFair 2000", Melbourne, Australia

• 2001 “Sculptures from the Tingari Cycle” Fireworks Gallery Brisbane

• 2001 Alice. Fitzroy. – Alliance Francaise de Canberra and the French Embassy, Canberra.

• 2001 The Art of Place Exhibition, Australian Heritage Commission, National Tour. 

• 2002/2003 Collectors Exhibition. redrock gallery Melbourne

• 2007 June redrock gallery, Group Exhibition, Gallery Grand Opening Beijing, P.R China

• 2007 July redrock gallery, Group Exhibition China World Exhibition Centre, Beijing P.R China

• 2007 August redrock gallery, Group Exhibition, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Beijing, P.R China

• 2007 November redrock gallery, Group Exhibition, International Art Expo, Beijing, P.R China

       2008 July redrock gallery,Beijing, 2nd Gallery Opening, Group Exhibition,  Beijing, P.R China

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

• 1998 Tingari - Men’s Business", Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney, NSW

• 1998 Walala Tjapaltjarri Paintings, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC.

• 1998 "Tingari Cycle" an exhibition of works by Walala Tjapaltjarri, Fire-Works Gallery, Brisbane, QLD.

COLLECTIONS:

• AMP Investments Australia, Sydney, N.S.W.

• Axiom Funds Management, Sydney, N.S.W.

• Gantner Myer Aboriginal Art Collection

• CNC International Corporation, Sydney, N.S.W.

• Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, Perth, W.A.

• El Paso Energy International Co, Houston, Texas

• Epic Energy Australia, Brisbane, QLD. Flinders University, Adelaide, S.A.

• Hastings Funds Management, Melbourne, VIC.

• Mem Aziz Collection. Melbourne, Australia

• Kaplan & Levi Collection, Seattle, U.S.A.

• New South Wales Art Gallery, Sydney, N.S.W.

• The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A.

• Various Private Collections.