Exhibiton

Harry Tjutjana

Harry Tjutjana started painting only in the last few months of 2005.
Harry is in his late ‘seventies; it remains difficult to verify the year of his birth. He has a grown family and is twice a widower. Harry is a senior law man and ngangkari, a traditional healer.

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 person 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 concentrates on a few important subjects in his paintings: kangaroo men and (marsupial) mouse women – two of the significant totemic Creation beings of his country; and men thinking about (chasing) women, i e finding their life partners; and women thinking about (and running away from!) men, i e considering their suitors; and young girls playing milpatjunanyi, the traditional way of telling stories in the sand. He also often paints the ‘Kungkarangkalpa’ (seven sisters) story, from a very male perspective.

Exhibitions/Events/Collections

‘Anangu Backyard’ 2005 Adelaide Festival Centre, SA

‘Itjanu’ January-February 2006, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne, VIC

‘Senior Pitjantjatjara Artists’ March 2006, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT

Artist in Residence April 2006, Sails in the Desert, Yulara, NT

The Second Sharom Gamarada Aboriginal Art Exhibtion, June 2006, University of New South Wales

Art Gallery of New South Wales Collection 2006

The Lagerberg-Swift Collection 2006 / 2007

Marshall Collection 2006 / 2007