Don Tjungarrayi
Warlpiri/Luritja people NT c.1939-2022
Three Caves at Witjiparraparri 1987
Acrylic on linen
213 x 316 cm
BCEC Art Collection
Don Tjungarrayi began painting in the late 1970s. Born near Yuendumu and later based at Papunya, he is known for his bold, graphic works depicting ceremonial and ancestral narratives. In 1986, he was awarded the Alice Springs Art Prize, and his work is now held in major public collections across Australia.
Tjungarrayi’s distinctive use of feathery brushstrokes allows key elements of his ancestral stories to emerge from his densely dotted landscapes.
Witjiparraparri is an important ancestral site in Warlpiri Country, associated with the Witchetty Grub Dreaming. In this work, three central forms represent caves; sites created by ancestors as they moved through subterranean tunnels across the landscape.
Three Caves at Witjiparraparri can be viewed on Plaza Level.