Helicopter Tjungarrayi

Born at Nynmi, west of Kiwirrkurra, Helicopter learnt from a young age the location of water sources and how to hunt for bush food. When he was a young boy he became very sick and was brought into old Balgo mission in a helicopter that had been doing mining exploration work in the area. This was the first helicopter many of the people had seen and is how he got his name. Helicopter is a ‘Maparn’ (traditional medicine man) and people travel hundreds of miles to see him for healing. He is also an active Law man. Helicopter worked in the mission in Balgo, drilling for water, cutting timber for fencing, fixing the windmill and travelled widely during these days to pick up supplies from the Kimberley ports of Broome and Wyndham and down to Alice Springs. It was also at Balgo mission that Helicopter met and married Napanangka Yukenbarri. Together they had six children and grew up another two of Napanangka’s children from her first husband. They were together until Napanangka died in 2003. In the early 1990’s Helicopter painted with Napanangka, not seeking any acknowledgement.

Since 1994 Helicopter has been painting on his own in a distinctive linear style that emanates from the central feature of a soak water. He paints the country where he was born; his fathers and grandfathers country in the Great Sandy Desert area. More recently, Helicopter has travelled with his paintings interstate and overseas for exhibitions and in 1999 and 2003 Helicopter, together with Napanangka Yukenbarri, had solo exhibitions.