Walala Tjapaltjarri was born in the early 1960s in the Gibson desert. He was one of the group of Pintupi whose arrival in Kiwirrkura in 1984 made international headlines because until this point the group had never encountered Europeans. Walala started to paint around 1996 under the supervision of his brother Warlimpirrnga who is also an acclaimed artist. He started to paint in a very traditional Pintupi style but rapidly his style evolved in a more personal style to depict his dreamings. Walala's paintings possess a very boldly graphic style, which consists in series of rectangles set against a monochrome background. He mainly paints Tingari cycle themes, which are associated with his dreaming sites located in the Gibson desert. His first exhibition was in 1997, for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award in Darwin.
The total number of works by Walala Tjapaltjarri offered for sale by auction since 2000 is 197, of which 94 (48%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $10,200 for Tingari Cycle sold by Cooee Art Leven in October 2020. This year 3 works have been offered for sale. Works by Walala Tjapaltjarri are held by the National Gallery of Victoria and Art Gallery of NSW.
Walala Tjapaltjarri is listed in the following standard biographical references:
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
Yes, eligible, subject to the artist satisfying the residency test. The artist is alive or has been deceased for less than 70 years. Contact the Copyright Agency for information on the residency test.
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