Biography

Pintupi, b. c. 1962 Walala Tjapaltjarri is a Pintupi artist and a member of the group widely known as the Pintupi Nine. In 1984, Walala and his family left their nomadic life in the Western Desert and joined relatives at Kiwirrkura, Western Australia. He later began painting through the Papunya Tula movement, introduced to painting by his brother Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri. The National Gallery of Victoria records Walala as Pintupi, born c. 1962, and active at Kintore. Dreaming & Country: Tingari Walala’s paintings are principally associated with the Tingari Cycle, a major body of Pintupi ceremonial knowledge. His works refer to ancestral journeys and sites across Pintupi Country, including Wilkinkarra / Lake Mackay and related Western Desert locations. Only the public elements of these stories are represented in the paintings. Style and Technique Walala’s mature work is known for its hard-edged geometry. Earlier Papunya Tula dotting gives way to bold rectangular structures, gridded forms and heavy linear divisions. The result is visually distinct within Pintupi painting: less atmospheric than Warlimpirrnga’s fine optical linework, and more architectural in its handling of space. His compositions often reduce Tingari sites and movement into compact fields of blocks, bands and repeated forms. The surface has a measured, deliberate quality; the strength of the work sits in structure, not embellishment. Walala’s Palette Walala generally works with a restrained palette of black, white, ochre, red-brown, cream and other earth tones. Colour is used sparingly, giving emphasis to geometry, contrast and the organisation of the painted field. For the Collector Walala Tjapaltjarri holds an important position within late twentieth-century Pintupi painting as a member of the Pintupi Nine and as the brother of Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri. His work has been shown in national and international exhibitions and is represented in public and private collections in Australia, Europe and the United States. The National Gallery of Victoria holds Tingarri Dreaming at Wilkinkarra 1996, a collaborative work by Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri and Walala Tjapaltjarri.