Ronnie Tjampitjinpa

c. 1942-2023 Western Desert

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa is a senior Pintupi painter whose life and practice trace the full arc of the Western Desert art movement. Born around 1948 at Muyinnga, west of the Kintore Ranges, he spent his early years travelling traditional Country before moving through Yuendumu, Haasts Bluff and finally Papunya, where he joined the pioneering group of men who first transferred ceremonial graphic traditions into acrylic paint in the early 1970s. Closely connected to the influential artist Uta Uta Tjangala, Tjampitjinpa developed a distinctive visual language that came into full force after settling at Walungurru (Kintore) in the 1980s. His compositions, built from assertive, continuous dotting and powerful Tingari based structures became hallmarks of the emerging Pintupi style. Over a career spanning more than five decades, his work has been exhibited internationally, including major presentations in New York, Europe and leading American museums. Now one of Papunya Tula Artists’ longest practising members, he remains a deeply respected custodian of Pintupi law and Country.

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa

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