Patrick Tjungurrayi
from Western Desert
Birth Place: Jupiter Well, WA

Background:
'If contemporary Aboriginal art has become renowned for its flickering, optical power, then Patrick Tjungurrayi would have to be described as a master of the form.

His works pulse with desert warmth and where all too much Aboriginal art on the market appears to be a pastiche of traditional forms to capture a bewildered and naive market, Tjungurrayi's work is both unique in structure and indisputably heart-felt."
Australian Art Collector Magazine 2005

Tjungurrayi was born near Jupiter Well in Western Australia of the Pintupi Tribe. He roams between the regions of Balgo and Kiwirrkurra seeking inspiration for his paintings which hover between influences of the two communities.

His bold designs depict sites created by Tingari ancestors at Kallianku, west of Jupiter Well, as they travelled during the dreamtime period. There are also depictions of the Wanawarra (rainbow snake) designs from that region.

Tjungurrayi is a leading Papunya Tula artist whose artworks are sought after by collectors worldwide. His inclusion in the 1996 Dreamings of the Desert and the 2000 Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius exhibitions consolidated his status as one of the key figures of the Papunya movement'.

Patrick Tjungurrayi article was written by Ashley Crawford for 'Australian Art Collector: 50 Most Collectable Edition 2005'