George Tjungurrayi
Born: c1947
Skin Name: Tjungurrayi/Jungarai
Language: Pintupi
Region: Kiwirrkurra, Western DesertGeorge `{`Hairbrush`}` Tjungurrayi was born near Kiwirrkurra in the Gibson Desert, Western Australia. His homeland is clay-pan type country in which soakage water is used by the travelling men and the small flesh ‘mungilypa’ shrub that grows profusely in this region. He came in from the desert via Mount Doreen and Yuendumu.In the mid 1970’s both George and his older brother Willy, also an established Pintupi artist, commenced their painting careers as apprentices for Papunya Tula Artists. George has painted at various locations, including Mt Liebig (Yamunturrngu) and Kintore (Walungurru), and at the Yayayi and Waruwiya outstations, working alongside Joseph Jurra Tjapatjarri and Ray James Tjangala. His subject matter references is his ancestral country, its Tingari Stories and the various sites surrounding the area such as Wala, Kiwirrkura, Lake Mackay, Kulkuta, Karku, Ngaluwinyamana and Kilpinya, north-west of Kintore in the Western desert in central Australia.In 1998 with the passing of his brother, who was a member of the Papunya Tula desert art movement, a degree of important cultural responsibility passed across to George. He developed a distinctive painting style with dense parallel line structures marked out with shimmering rows of dotting.
Originally his artwork employed the typical Western Desert image bound to subtle hues, however his art style has evolved and re-shaped to include the brighter hues which dominates his canvases.George spends the most of his time with his wife, Nanupu Nangala and family in his community in Kintore, west of Alice Spring.George Tjungurrayi was voted “the most collectable artist”, by magazine, Australian Art Collector and his artwork has been exhibited in widely in Australia and many other countries worldwide.
Skin Name: Tjungurrayi/Jungarai
Language: Pintupi
Region: Kiwirrkurra, Western DesertGeorge `{`Hairbrush`}` Tjungurrayi was born near Kiwirrkurra in the Gibson Desert, Western Australia. His homeland is clay-pan type country in which soakage water is used by the travelling men and the small flesh ‘mungilypa’ shrub that grows profusely in this region. He came in from the desert via Mount Doreen and Yuendumu.In the mid 1970’s both George and his older brother Willy, also an established Pintupi artist, commenced their painting careers as apprentices for Papunya Tula Artists. George has painted at various locations, including Mt Liebig (Yamunturrngu) and Kintore (Walungurru), and at the Yayayi and Waruwiya outstations, working alongside Joseph Jurra Tjapatjarri and Ray James Tjangala. His subject matter references is his ancestral country, its Tingari Stories and the various sites surrounding the area such as Wala, Kiwirrkura, Lake Mackay, Kulkuta, Karku, Ngaluwinyamana and Kilpinya, north-west of Kintore in the Western desert in central Australia.In 1998 with the passing of his brother, who was a member of the Papunya Tula desert art movement, a degree of important cultural responsibility passed across to George. He developed a distinctive painting style with dense parallel line structures marked out with shimmering rows of dotting.
Originally his artwork employed the typical Western Desert image bound to subtle hues, however his art style has evolved and re-shaped to include the brighter hues which dominates his canvases.George spends the most of his time with his wife, Nanupu Nangala and family in his community in Kintore, west of Alice Spring.George Tjungurrayi was voted “the most collectable artist”, by magazine, Australian Art Collector and his artwork has been exhibited in widely in Australia and many other countries worldwide.
