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Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa "Man and Women’s Snake and Bush Tucker Dreaming"1971
1971
About the Item
Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa (b.1926-1989)
Titled: « Man and Women’s Snake and Bush Tucker Dreaming »
Pigments and Polymer
50x76cm – year 1971!
Aboriginal art - Master piece
This work is the oldest known Aboriginal painting on canvas in the world, as the earliest works were either on isorel board or canvas board.
(documentation and annotated from Geoffrey Bardon)
Provenance:
David Mortimer, Publican of the Glen Helen Lodge, Northern Territory
Gallery of Desert Dreamings, Alice Springs 1991,
Gallerie Australis, Adelaide,
Thomas Vroom Coll. Nederland
Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa (c. 1920–1989)
“His leadership, creativity, and courage gave voice to a cultural movement that would resonate across the world.”
Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa was a major figure in contemporary Australian Aboriginal art. He is recognized as one of the pioneers of the Papunya art movement and a co-founder of the Papunya Tula Artists cooperative.
Early Life and Background
Kaapa was born around 1920 on Napperby Station in the Northern Territory of Australia. He belonged to the Anmatyerre, Arrernte, and Warlpiri language groups and grew up immersed in rich cultural traditions. As a young man, he worked as a stockman at Napperby and later at Haasts Bluff, before settling in Papunya in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Artistic Career and Recognition
Before the 1970s, Kaapa was already using traditional designs to create artworks for sale, including carved wooden figures and watercolour paintings. In 1971, his painting Gulgardi (also known as Men’s Ceremony for the Kangaroo) won the Caltex Art Award in Alice Springs. This marked the first public recognition of a Papunya painting—and an Aboriginal artist—in a contemporary art competition.
This win was pivotal for the emergence of the Papunya art movement. Kaapa was one of the main artists who painted the now-famous Honey Ant Dreaming mural on the wall of the Papunya school, under the guidance of teacher Geoffrey Bardon. In 1972, he became the first chairman of the Papunya Tula Artists cooperative, playing a central role in organizing and promoting the movement.
Style and Legacy
Kaapa is considered a transitional artist between the watercolour landscape tradition of the Hermannsburg School and the symbolic art of the Western Desert. His works, often painted on wooden panels, include ceremonial elements and Dreaming motifs, combining intricate detail with an aesthetic accessible to Western viewers.
His paintings are held in many major institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the National Museum of Australia. Works like Budgerigar Dreaming and Water Dreaming (1972) are listed on Australia’s Register of Cultural Property, highlighting their exceptional significance.
Personal Life and Death
Kaapa was married to artist Eunice Napangati and was the brother of artist Dinny Nolan Tjampitjinpa. He died in 1989, leaving behind an artistic legacy that continues to shape and inspire contemporary Aboriginal art.
Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa remains an iconic figure in Australian Aboriginal art, having played a key role in the recognition and celebration of this unique cultural expression at both national and international levels.
Prix:
Alice Springs Caltex Art Award (1971).
Collections:
National Gallery of Australia.
The Art Gallery of South Australia.
The Art Gallery of Western Australia.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
The National Gallery of Victoria.
The National Museum of Australia.
University of Virginia.
The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
Collection Philippson, Belgium...
- Creator:Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa (1926 - 1989, Aboriginal Australian)
- Creation Year:1971
- Dimensions:Height: 19.69 in (50 cm)Width: 29.93 in (76 cm)Depth: 0.99 in (2.5 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:PARIS, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2847216257132
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