Details of Harry Tjutjuna
About
BIOGRAPHY
Harry was born circa 1930 at Walytjatjara north east of Pipalyatjara, near the tristate border of South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia. He is a Pitjantjara speaking Ngankari, traditional healer and senior law man. He has a grown family and is twice widowed.
Harry's country is near Mt Davies in the north-west corner of South Australia close to the Western Australia and Northern Territory borders and that is where he was born in the bush. He came in to Ernabella as a young man and was educated at the Ernabella mission school. As a young adult he took an active part in the life of the newly settled community, working on bore sinking, fencing, gardening, and with the sheep which the mission ran to pay its way, and provide the medical services and education which were the purpose of the mission's foundation in 1937. Later Harry moved back to the far north-west with his family, living mostly in and around Wingellina in Western Australia, and Pipalyatjara on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.
Harry began painting in 2005 at Ernabella Arts Centre before moving to Pipalyatjara in 2008 where he paints at Ninuku Arts. Harry paints a few favorite dreamtime stories including Wati Wanka: Spider man; Wati Nyiru, the man who chases the seven sisters; Wati Malu and the Kungka Mingakri's, the kangaroo man and the female mice. He also paints Kunka Tjuta, young girls doing milpatjunanyi, the traditional way of telling stories in the sand.
His whimsical themes, combined with a masterful use of brush, has quickly positioned Harry as one of the most highly sought-after artists at Ninuku Arts. He is one of the greatest characters at the art centre with a wonderful sense of humour and big laugh!
"Old generation are here now and I am old generation too. Lot's of old generation have passed away. What are you going to do? What happens when I pass away?...New generation got to learn Tjukurpa." (Harry Tjutjuna)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2007 Harry Tjutjuna- Recent Works, RAFT Artspace, Darwin
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010 Kulunypa tjuta painamilani, Short St Gallery in Cairns, QLD
2010 Western Australian Art Award, Art Gallery of WA, selected finalist
2009 26th NATSIAA, Museum and Art Gallery of NT, Darwin.
2009 Ninuku Artists 'Ngintaka Tjukurpa: Perentie Lizard Dreaming', Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2009 Tjungu: All Together, Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney, NSW
2008 Mark Making in Print, South Australian Impressions, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2008 Pirinyi, Prints from Ninuku Arts Artists, Australian Print Workshop Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2008 Desert Mob, Araluen Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
2008 Tjukurpa Kutjupa Kutjupa: Other Stories from Ninuku Arts and Tjampi Desert Weavers, Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
2008 Our Mob, The Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2008 Tjukurpa Kutjupa Kutjupa: Other Stories from Ninuka Arts and Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Short St Gallery, Broome, WA
2008 A Way of seeing, Gallery Gondwana, Sydney, NSW
2007 Anangu Backyard, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2007 Whyalla Art Prize Finalist, Whyalla, SA
2007 Ernabella- A Collection of New Works, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne, VIC
2007 Desert Master Class, Museum of South Australia, Adelaide, SA
2007 Desert Mob, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
2007 Museum of Modern Art, Comune di Spoleto, Spoleto, Italy
2007 Best of the Best, Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
2007 Nganampa Ngura, Australia and Pacific Art, Sydney, NSW
2007 Visions of Country, Seymour College, Adelaide, SA
2007 Ernabella- Recent Paintings and Ceramics Birrung Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2007 APY Grandeur, Art Mob, Hobart, TAS
2006 Desert Mob, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs, NT
2006 Big Country, Gallery Gondwana, Sydney/Alice Springs, NT
2006 Anangu Backyard, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
2006 The Second Sharom Gamarada Aboriginal Art Exhibition, Uni of NSW
2006 Artists in Residence, Sails in the Desert, Yulara, NT
2006 Senior Pitjantjatjara Artists, RAFT Artspace, Darwin, NT
2006 Itjanu, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne, VIC
2005 Anangu Backyard, Adelaide Festival Centre, SA
COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Charles Darwin University Collection
The Lagerberg- Swift Collection
The Marshall Collection
National Gallery of Victoria
Merenda Collection
National Gallery of Australia
AWARDS
2009 Togart Contemporary Art Awardh
