Ronnie Tjampitjinpa Born: c1943
Tribe: Pintupi
Language: Pintupi
Region: Walungurru (Kintore), Ininti, Alice SpringRonnie was born around 1943 near Muyinnga, about 100 km west of the Kintore Range in the Northern Territory. His family moved extensively throughout Pintupi Country living the traditional ways his people have lived for over 40000 years.It was during Ronnie’s time at Papunya that he started to take an interest in the Papunya Tula Desert Art Movement (formed in the early 70’s).Ronnie soon emerged as one of Papunya Tula’s major artists. His work reflects his direct ties with his culture, retaining a purity that many other Aboriginal artists have not achieved. Ronnie’s work follows the strict Pintupi style including the strong circle motif joined together by connecting lines.1996 sees Ronnie as one of the Central Deserts most sought after artists, producing stunning linear work. His work is currently in high demand fetching high prices at the Sotheby’s Auction Rooms in Melbourne, Australia. During 1980s, he was the Chairman of the Kintore Outstation Council, devoting a lot work on land claims for Ininti.Ronnie and his wife, Mary Brown Napangardi are currently spending time between Alice Springs and his home in Kintore.Ronnie Tjampitjinpa was the winner of the 1988 Alice Springs Art Prize
COLLECTIONS:
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth
Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria
Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
Robert Holmes a Court
Medibank Private Collection
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, Darwin
Artbank
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
Donald Khan, U.S.A.
Richard Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, U.S.A.
Musee National des Arts Africains et Oceaniens, Paris, France
Groninger Museum, The Netherlands SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
1982 Brisbane Festival, Brisbane
1983 Mori Gallery, Sydney
1986 Galerie Dusseldorf, Germany
1986 Aboriginal Arts Australia, Canberra
1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1996 Gallery Gabriella Pizzi, Melbourne
1988 Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
1988 Expo ’88, Brisbane
1991, 1993, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
1991 Australian National Gallery, Canberra
1991 Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, U.S.A.
1992 Aboriginal Artists Agency, Sydney
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
1992 Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Ballarat
1993 Art Gallery of N.S.W., Sydney
1993 Art Museum, Armidale, N.S.W.
1993 Art Gallery of W.A., Perth
1994 National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
1994 Utopia Gallery, Sydney
1994 Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Milan and Palermo, Italy
1994 Museum Villa Stuck, Munich, Germany
1995 Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
1996 – 2006 Twenty-Five Years and Beyond: Papunya Tula Painting, Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
1998 Jinta Gallery, Sydney
1999 – 2001 Spirit Country, San Francisco, touring
1999 Flinders Art Museum Flinders University, Adelaide
1999 Embassy of Australia, Washington, U.S.A.
1999 Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, U.S.A.
2000 Aboriginal Art Galleries of Australia, Melbourne
2000 Papunya Tula Genesis and Genius, Australia Gallery, N.S.W.
2000 Aboriginal Lawman- Masterworks, Australian Exhibition Centre, Chicago, U.S.A.
2001, 2003 Chapel off Chapel
2009 Size Matters, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2009 The Dreamers, Art Gallery of NSW.
2008 From the air, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD.
2004 DREAMTIME: The Dark and The Light, Sammlung Essl, Austria.
2003 Bushfire, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane QLD.
2011 Tjukurrtjanu- Origins of Western Desert Art, National Gallery of Victoria.
2015 Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Art Gallery of New South Wales