George Ward Tjungurrayi

About

George Ward Tjungurrayi was born around 1947 near Kiwirrkurra in the Gibson Desert in Western Australia. He is the half brother of well known artists Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi (now passed away) and Willy Tjungurrayi.

George Ward Tjungurrayi began painting in the early 1990s at Kintore. In 1998 with the passing of his brother Yala Yala Gibbs, a founding member of the Papunya Tula desert art movement, a degree of important cultural responsibility passed across to George.

He developed a distinctive painting style with dense parallel line structures marked out with shimmering rows of dotting.

Often the stories of his paint describe journeys taken by the Tingari ancestors as they moved through the landscape, transforming into the structures of the landscape.

He had held several solo exhibitions and countless group exhibitions through his work with Papunya Tula Artists. His artwork is also held in several well known collections around Australia.

George and his family continue to reside between Warakuna and Alice Springs.