Walala Tjapaltjarri
Born: Early 1960’s
Language: Pintupi
Country: WIlkinkarra (including the sites of Marawa, Tarkurrnga, Njami, Ungarta and Yarrawangu) around Lake Mackay, Gibson Desert, Western Australia
Walala with his extended family of nine, including his brothers Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri and Tamayinya (Thomas) Tjapaltjarri, lived a nomadic and traditional hunter-gathering life in the great Gibson Desert. With their understanding of the land, bush, wildlife and waterholes they survived as their ancestors had for centuries and living in the desert without any knowledge of the ‘white fellas’ who inhabited other parts of the country.
The family is a good example of the complex and strict structure of marriage that existed at the time and still exists today. Walala’s brother, Warlimpirrnga, was born around 1955 at Tjuulnga east of Kiwirrkurra in Pintupi country. His mother, Papalya Nangala, and father, Waku Tjungurrayi, then had a daughter, Takariya. Waku also took three of Papalya’s sisters as his wives. Wati and Watjunka (one of the sisters) already had a son called Piyirti (also spelt Payirti and Piyiti).
After Waku died in about 1964, Lanti, or Old Joshua, arrived from Balgo where, according to Jeremy Long, he had been burnt in a fire, but as he was the ‘right skin’ or Tjungurrayi for the sisters, he took them as his wives, with Nanu as his primary one. Joshua and Nanu’s children were Tamayinya (Thomas), Yalti and Yulkulti. Lanti and Watjunka had a son called Walala who was the youngest of the extended family.
In October 1984, with no male elder now part of the group and the knowledge all nine were related and that inbreeding could be a possibility, the twice widowed Papalya and Nanu sent Warlimpirrnga and his half-brother Piyirti, to search for relatives they hadn’t seen for many years. They had been told about ‘white fellas’ by Lanti but were scared. Lanti died around 1981/1982. It was thought he had been poisoned by non-Aboriginal mining people who believed he had been entering their camp stealing tinned meat.
Correspondingly, seven Aboriginal men from Kiwirrkura, including Freddy West (who knew the family before he had contact with ‘white fellas’), went searching for the group. Fearing they would be scared seeing clothed Aboriginals the seven stripped naked and convinced the group to return to Kiwirrkura with them. The group comprised of Papalya and Nanu (the widows), in their mid 50’s, Piyiti about 26, Warlimpirrnga about 25, Takariya about 24, Tamayinya about 15, Yalti about 14, Yukultji about 12 or 13 and Walala about 12. Up until this time they had had no personal contact with Europeans.
On their journey they came across Pinta Pinta Tjapanangka and his son, Matthew, fixing a flat tyre not far from Kiwirrkura. Their arrival in Kiwirrkura made international headlines and they became known as ‘The Lost Tribe’ or ‘The Pintupi Nine’ (These first contact experiences were the focus of one episode of Robert Hughes’ Beyond the Fatal Shore 2000 documentary for the BBC and ABC).
After a few months Piyiti crept away from Kiwirrkura and walked back to the desert. Warlimpirrnga has said he is the only one who knows where Piyiti is and has often seen him.
Walala followed Warlimpirrnga painting with Papunya Tula Artists in 1987 in the classical Tingari style favoured by Pintupi artists. He then developed his own individualistic, strong, minimal style painting the Tingari Cycle of the ancestors travels during the Tjukurrpa, creation time, of his country, performing ceremonies that create the diversity of the land. For example; water holes, sand dunes, mountains, plants and animals and associated sacred sites. These stories and ceremonies are recognised in the ‘songlines’ and teachings today.
Walala has painted as an independent artist for many years and has been involved with Tingari Arts since 2001. He, Warlimpirrnga and Thomas are very close and often like to paint together. Apart from being one of Australia’s prominent artists Walala is a kind, generous man with a great sense of humour. Tingari Arts is honoured to be associated with him.
Collections include:
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Flinders University, Adelaide
The Kelton Foundation, USA
Kaplan & Levi Collection, USA
Quai de Branly, Paris
Artbank
Sources used:
Johnson, Vivien, Lives of the Papunya Tula Artists, Australia. IAD Press, 2008
Toohey, Paul, The Bulletin, 4 May 2004, p.28 – 35
