Kukatja language. Born c.1929. Died 2OO7.

Radiating tension animates the paintings of Tjumpo Tjapanangka. Simultaneously ebullient and restrained, they pulse with lively energy, while evoking the sober austerity of Indigenous law. Tjumpo was born at Kanapir, between the great art centers of Wirrimanu (Balgo) and Kiwirrkura in remote Western Australia. His work bears some hallmarks of both artistic schools, but remains defiantly individual. Tjumpo was part of the great Kukatja exodus, leaving the Gibson Desert to live at the Balgo Hills Mission in the late 194Os. A freak drought and the ruinous ecological effects of the pastoral incursion had made nomadic life increasingly tenuous. At Balgo, the Kukatja and Walmajarri lived in exile, maintaining their traditions while adapting to mission life. In 1986, the Warlayirti art centre was established, providing the outlet for an artistic renaissance. While many of the artists at Warlayirti pioneered a style of unrestrained vigor, utilizing a high-keyed palette and chaotic arrangement of forms, Tjumpo used a limited palette to create highly structured works that reveal their energy in throbbing waves. The seriousness of these works is indicative of Tjumpo’s high social status: a senior lawman and ritual healer (maparn), these works capture the power of the landscape that only such “clever men” are able to access. Tjumpo Tjapanangka is represented in most important Australian collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.