Untitled Postcard

Patrick Tjungurrayi paints his Country and the designs associated with the land. His paintings are easily recognisable by their sometimes-psychedelic use of colour, a characteristic of Balgo art, and their geometry and order, painted in classic Papunya Tula style. The influence of the geometric patterns on carved pearl shells can be seen throughout his work.

This painting depicts designs associated with the soakage site of Kurra, west of Jupiter Well, Western Australia. In Ancestral times a large group of Tingari men passed through Kurra as they travelled eastwards. The Tingari are a group of Ancestral beings of the Dreaming, who created the Country as they travelled, enshrining their journey in a number of song cycles. The Kampurarrpa (Desert Raisin) Dreaming is also associated with the Kurra area. Kampurarrpa is a prized berry from the small shrub Solanum centrale which, if eaten in too large quantities, can cause headaches and stomach pains.

12.8 x 16.7cm  

Patrick Olodoodi Tjungurrayi
Pintupi/Kukatja peoples
Untitled 2009
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
National Gallery of Australia, purchased 2009
© The estate of the artist, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd