Wimmitji Tjapangarti

Born ‘in the bush’, probably near Percival Lakes about 1925, Wimmitji was a Kukatja speaker who lived at Mulan and Balgo and painted since 1987. His country was Kuta Kuta, near Percival Lakes. He painted Tingari stories for this region, including the Native Cat ceremony for Tjatjati, north of Jupiter Well, Papa (Dingo) and Wati Kutjarra (Two Men) Dreamings for Tjawuwirpa, and Snake Dreaming at Nyinmingka. He spent all his early years in this area and knew all its sacred places. Wimmitji’s works have a quite idiosynchratic look: they appear rough with much overlain dotting and many shapes and forms. This gives them a look of great age which may add to perceptions of their ‘authenticity’ – though from the artist’s perspective this comes from his great involvement in the Law. All speak volumes of the artist’s country zand its many associated stories. His works were sold through Warlayirti Artists. Adrian Newstead in his essay accompanying Boxer Milner’s solo exhibition Purrkitji quotes “When I first went there it was during the florescence of Balgo art in the mid-1980s. The old men were creating a body of work which recorded, in the most intimate detail, site maps of the desert country in which they grew up, prior to contact with the outside world. The greatest of these painters was surely Wimmitji Tjapangarti, Balgo’s master cartographer. A number of other old men created strongly iconographic works directly related to the imagery formerly engraved and painted on tjuringa stones or reserved for body and ground painting in ceremony”. Wimmitji was married to Eubena Nampitjin and painted with him until 1993. Eubena speaks very fondly of her past husband and the wonderful times they shared together in the sand hill country near Kunawarritji (Well 33 on the Canning Stock Route). He passed away in 2000.