Sunfly Tjampitjin b. c.1920

  • Artist ,
  • Artist (Painter)
A Kukatja artist who was painting in Balgo several years before the establishment of Warlayirti Artists in that community. He designed a powerful mosaic for Forrest Place (Perth) and his paintings are held in major public and private collections.
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Born 'in the bush’ in the Alec Ross Ranges, WA, north-west of Lake Mackay, c.1920, Sunfly was a highly respected figure in the Balgo community, whose understanding of the law was acknowledged by all. A Kukatja speaker, his country was Murrunpa (Alec Ross Ranges) and his principal Dreamings were Tingari and Luurnpa (Kingfisher). He began painting in 1984, several years before the establishment of Warlayirti Artists. His works show a great dramatic power and tell of things that cannot really be described to outsiders. One of the artist’s forceful paintings was used to inform a mosaic in the Forrest Place redevelopment in 1987 in the heart of Perth. The mosaic remained in Forrest Place for 25 years prior to being removed in 2012 as a part of the more recent redevelopment. The painting which informed the mosaic remains an important part of the City of Perth Art Collection.

Writers:
Johnson, Vivien Note: information supplied by Michael Rae Warlayirti Artists
Isobel Wise
Date written:
1994
Last updated:
2015