Dinny Tjampitjinpa Nolan b. 1930 near Yuendumu, NT

  • Artist (Painter) , (Printmaker)
Joined Papunya painting group in the mid 1970s with encouragement from his cousins Billy Stockman and Clifford Possum and his 'brother' Kaapa Tjampitjinpa. He went on to travel and exhibit with the company both in Australia and internationally and also to work independently.
Talk | Version history | Updated Oct. 19, 2011 | Created Jan. 1, 1994
Name
Dinny Tjampitjinpa Nolan
Birth date
c.1930
Birth place
near Yuendumu, NT
Gender
Male
Roles
  • Artist (Painter)
  • Artist (Printmaker)
Other Occupation
  • Stockman
Active Period
  • c.1977- c.2006
Languages
  • English
Is Indigenous
Yes
Dreaming
  • Bushfire
  • Goanna
  • Emu
  • Bush Turkey
  • Pelican
  • Willy willy
  • Water
Initial Record Data Source
  • Aboriginal Artists of the Western Desert: A Biographical Dictionary
Copyright
  • Papunya Tula Artists, NT

Dinny’s date of birth has been put as far back as 1922 or even earlier and as far forward as 1944. The artist said that he survived the Coniston massacre of 1928, which would lend credence to the earlier date. He was born close to present-day Yuendumu and spent many years working as a stockman across the Territory before settling in Papunya in the mid ’70s. A senior custodian for the Warlpiri people, he is officially recognised as leader of rainmaking and Water Dreaming ceremonies and is well-known for his powerful singing voice. Encouraged by his cousins Clifford Possum and Billy Stockman , and 'brother’ Kaapa Tjampitjinpa , Dinny joined the painting group in the mid 1970s. In 1977 he travelled to Melbourne for a show of Papunya Tula Artists at the Realities Gallery, staying with artist Trevor Nickolls. In 1981 Dinny visited Sydney with Paddy Carroll to construct one of the first sand paintings seen outside of Central Australia. The same year he executed a print at the Victorian Print Workshop. In 1988 he and Maxie Tjampitjinpa were Artists-in-Residence at the Wagga Wagga City Art Gallery. He also painted for the Centre for Aboriginal Artists in Alice Springs during the late 1980s and 1990s. His Dreamings include Water, Willy Willy, Pelican, Bush Turkey, Emu, Goanna and Bushfire.

Writers:
Johnson, Vivien Note: primary biographer
Date written:
1994
Last updated:
2011
relative of
Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri
1932
Artist (Painter), Artist (Carver)
associate of
Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri
1932
Artist (Painter), Artist (Carver)
sibling of
Kaapa Tjampitjinpa
1925
Artist (Carver), Artist (Painter)
relative of
Billy Tjapaltjarri Stockman
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Billy Tjapaltjarri Stockman
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Trevor Nickolls
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Paddy Tjungurrayi Carroll
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Paddy Tjungarrayi Carroll
1927
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Pansy Napangati
1945
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Maxie Tjampitjinpa
1945
Artist (Painter)
associate of
Brogas Tjapangati
1949
Artist (Carver), Artist (Painter)
associate of
Papunya Tula Artists
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
associate of
Centre for Aboriginal Artists, Alice Springs, NT
Non-Artist/Designer/Curator
Collections
Realities Gallery
1977
Exhibition (exhibited at)
Melbourne, VIC
Recognitions
Artists-in-Residence - Wagga Wagga City Art Gallery
1988
Award
Citations:
  • Bardon, Geoffrey and Bardon, James, (2004), Papunya: A Place Made After the Story; The Beginnings of the Western Desert Painting Movement, (Place: Miegunyah Press, Melbourne, VIC ISBN-10 : 0-522-85110-X / ISBN-13: 978-0522851106)
  • Tjampitjinpa, Dinny Nolan Tjalkupla Kuwarritja, (Place: Papunya Literature Production Centre, Papunya, NT)
  • Johnson, V., (2008), Lives of the Papunya Tula Artists, (Place: IAD Press, Alice Springs, NT ISBN 978 1 86465 090 7url: http://www/iadpress.com) http://www.iadpress.com