Hilary Tjapaltjarri
Pintupi people WA b.1940
Mintjilpiri
Acrylic on linen
213 x 264 cm
BCEC Art Collection
Hilary Tjapaltjarri was born on the site of Mintjilpirri to the south-east of the Kintore Community. As a young child his family lived a traditional lifestyle, travelling through this area, finally moving to Haasts Bluff when he was in his early teens. Because of poor water supply at Haasts Bluff, the Government established the Papunya Community in late 1959 to cope with the large numbers of Pintupi people who were then coming in from the west. Hilary began painting in 1985.
The roundels in this painting represent the swampy areas to the south-east of the Kintore Community known as Mintjilpirri. This is an important soakage site where two Dreamtime snakes lived. These snakes, husband and wife, belonged to the Tjungurrayi and Nangala kinship subsections respectively. The background dots show the topographical features of the area, including the sand hills and mulga trees.