Ray James Tjangala Indigenous Australian, b. c. 1958-
Ray James Tjangala was born at Yunala rockhole, west of Kiwirrkurra. He is the son of Anatjari Tjampitjinpa, who was one of the original Papunya Tula Artists and Tjungkaya Napangati.
The family moved to Papunya in April 1964 after spending time at Wudungunya rockhole, north west of Puntujarrpa. It was here that Tjangala went to school. However, the family subsequently moved to more established outstations in Waruwiya, Alumbara and Yayayi.
Tjangala started to paint for Papunya Tula Artists in 1987, when he was living in Kintore. By the late 1990s he moved back home to Kiwirrkurra to realise that many of the senior elders who inspired him, had passed away. However, instead of harming his practice this realisation only revived his art making him one of the most recognisable artists working for the company.
Many paintings of his relate to the soakage water site of Yunala, west of the Kiwirrkurra community in Western Australia. In the Dreamtime, this is where his ancestors camped and where they gathered the edible roots of the bush banana or silky pear vine Marsdenia australis, also known as Yunala, which were in abundance in that region. The designs in the painting represent body paint worn by the men during ceremonies relating to Yunala.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 ‘Community X’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
2016 ‘New Pictures: Aboriginal Painting’, Kunstwerk: Sammlung Alison und Peter Klein, Nussdorf, GERMANY
2015 ‘Community VII’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
2013 ‘The Salon’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Painting Now’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Community V’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
2012 ‘Abstraction’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Classic Works from Papunya Tula Artists’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Community IV: Celebrating Forty Years of Papunya Tula Artists’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
2010 ‘Papunya Tula Artists – Community’ Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘PTA NOW’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Summer Show 2010’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Melbourne Art Fair 2010’, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, VIC
‘KIAF 2010, Korea International Art Fair’, COEX, Seoul, Korea
‘Ngurra Kutju Ngurrara – Belonging To One Country’, ReDot Gallery, Singapore
‘Tradition & Innovation – Papunya Tula 2010’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
2009 ‘Nganana Tjungurrayi Tjukurrpa Nintintjakitja: We are Here Sharing our Dreaming’, East Galleries, New
York, USA
‘Community – The Heart of Papunya Tula Artists’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Papunya 2009, Senior Pintupi Artists’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
‘Icons Of The Desert: Early Aboriginal Paintings From Papunya’, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art,
Cornell University, New York, USA
‘Tjukurrpa Palurukutu, Kutjupawana Palyantjanya – Same Stories, A New Way’, Papunya Tula Artists,
Alice Springs, NT
Nganampatju Kanpatja Winki, Nganampatju Yara Winkii – All Our Paintings, All Our Stories’, Papunya
Tula Artists, Alice Springs, NT
2008 ‘Ngurra Yurru Kulintjaku – Always Remembering Country’, CCAE, Darwin, NT
‘David Larwill and the Western Desert Artists’, Stephen Wiess Studio, New York, USA
‘New Paintings from Papunya Tula Artists’, Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
‘Papunya Tula Artists 2008’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Desert Prophets’ Indigenart, Perth, WA
‘Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair’, Convention Centre, Darwin, NT
‘20 Years of Papunya Tula Artists’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
2007 ‘Papunya Tula 2007’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Gifted: Contemporary Aboriginal Art, The Mollie Gowing Acquisition Fund’, AGNSW, Sydney
‘Recent Paintings 2007’, Cross Cultural Art Exchange, Darwin, NT
‘The Black & White Show’, Red Dot Gallery, Singapore
‘Pintupi Art 2007’, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide, SA
‘Pintupi Mixed Exhibition’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, NT
‘Group Show’, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
2006 ‘A Particular Collection’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Melbourne Art Fair 2006’, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, VIC
‘across the board’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘PTA’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Group Show’, John Gordon Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW
‘Papunya Tula Artists 2006’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Land Marks’, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC
‘Pintupi’, Hamiltons Gallery, London, UK
‘Yawulyurra kapalilu palyara nintilpayi’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, NT
‘Papunya Tula Artists – Recent Paintings’, Harriet Place, Darwin, NT
‘Pintupi Art 2006’, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide, SA
‘Pintupi Dreamtime’, Red Dot Gallery, Singapore
‘Papunya Tula Artists – Recent Paintings’, Harriet Place, Darwin, Northern Territory,
‘Australia Aboriginal Art 2006/2007’ John Gordon Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW
2005 ‘Pintupi Show’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, NT
‘Papunya Tula Artists - new work for a new space’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Papunya Tula Artists’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Pintupi Art 2005’, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide, SA
‘New Works From The Western Desert’, Indigenart, Perth, WA
‘Pintupi Artists’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, NT
2004 ‘Pintupi Art 2004’, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide, SA
‘Works From Kintore and Kiwirrkura’, Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
‘Talking About Abstraction’, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, College of Fine Arts - UNSW, Sydney, NSW
‘Aboriginal Art 2004’, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne, VIC
‘Ma Yungu/ Pass It On’, Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
‘Looking Closely At Country’, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, College of Fine Arts - UNSW, Sydney, NSW
‘Pintupi Artists’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, NT
2003 ‘Papunya Tula Masters’, The Depot Gallery, Sydney, NSW
‘Ab Op II’, Utopia Art Sydney, NSW
‘Pintupi Art 2003’, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide, SA
‘Papunya Tula Selected Paintings’, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
‘Aboriginal Art 2003’, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne, VIC
‘Kintore-Kiwirrkura’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Pintupi Artists’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
2002 ‘Paintings From Our Country’, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Dealer, Adelaide, SA
‘Twenty Five Years and Beyond - Papunya Tula Painting’, Academy of Arts, University of Tasmania, TAS
‘Twenty Five Years and Beyond - Papunya Tula Painting’, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, QLD
Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Twenty Five Years and Beyond - Papunya Tula Painting’, Brisbane City Gallery, QLD
‘Aboriginal Art 2002’, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne, VIC
‘Pintupi Mens' and Womens' Stories’, Indigenart, Subiaco, WA
‘Art Born of The Western Desert’, Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
2001 Palm Beach Art Fair, Palm Beach, Florida, USA
‘Art of the Pintupi’, Tony Bond Aboriginal Art Gallery, Adelaide, SA
‘Kintore-Kiwirrkura’, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
‘Twenty Five Years And Beyond - Papunya Tula Painting’, The Araluen Centre, Alice Springs, NT
‘Aboriginal Art 2001’, Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Melbourne, VIC
‘Dreamscapes-Cotemporary Desert Art’, Mostings Hus, Frederiksberg, Denmark
‘Pintupi Exhibition’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, NT
‘Size Doesn't Matter’, William Mora Galleries, Melbourne, VIC
‘Spirituality and Australian Aboriginal Art’, Comunidad de Madrid touring exhibition, Spain
‘Aborigena’, Palazzo Bricherasio, Turin, Italy
2000 ‘Lines’ Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
‘Aboriginal Art 2000’, Scott Livesey Art Gallery, Armadale, VIC
‘Aboriginal Art Select Works’, Kozminsky Gallery and Fine Art Dealers, Melbourne, VIC
‘Papunya Tula Genesis and Genius’, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
‘Pintupi Men’, Papunya Tula Artists, Alice Springs, Northern Territory,
Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
1999 15th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award 1998, Gold Coast City Art Gallery, QLD
Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, SA
16th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museums & Art Gallery of the Northern
Territory, Darwin, NT
15th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award 1998, National Aboriginal Cultural Institute -
Tandanya, Adelaide, SA
The Desert Mob Art Show, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
‘Twenty Five Years and Beyond – Papunya Tula Painting’, Flinders University Art Museum, Flinders
University, Bedford Park, South Australia
1998 15th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award 1998, Museums & Art Gallery of the Northern
Territory, Darwin, NT
‘Dreamings’, Vlaams-Europeesch Conferentiecentrum, Brussels, Belgium
Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
1997 Papunya Tula Artists Pty. Ltd., Alice Springs, NT
1995 Chapman Gallery, Manuka, Canberra, ACT
1993 Chapman Gallery, Manuka, Canberra, ACT
‘Aborgiena’, Palazzo Bricherasio, Turin, Italy.
‘Spirituality and Australian Aboriginal Art’, Comunidad de Madrid touring exhibition, Spain.
Collections
National Gallery of Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales
National Gallery of Victoria
Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands
Flinders University Art Museum