Artist

Adrian Jurra Tjungurrayi is a Western Desert Pintupi artist whose rhythmic and intricate compositions recall his familial and cultural artistic lineages and herald the bold future of Papunya Tula painting.

Adrian Jurra Tjungurrayi has painted with Papunya Tula Artists from 2003, learning to paint from his father, the renowned artist Kumanytjayi (Joseph) Jurra Tjapaltjarri (c.1952-2022), a respected ceremonial and community leader of the Pintupi people and former Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists. Kumanytjayi (Joseph) Jurra painted with the first generation of the Western Desert Art movement and is recognised for his meandering linear compositions depicting the desert flora and landscapes of his Country. 

In customary fashion, Adrian Jurra Tjungurrayi took on the signature style of his father, painting large-scale works featuring rippling linework and tessellating forms. Over the past decade, he has made this style uniquely his own, shifting to a softer pastel-based palette and creating depth and movement through subtle tonal variations. 

Since his father’s passing in 2022, Adrian Jurra Tjungurrayi has taken over custodianship of the sites and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming stories) of his father’s Country, and his recent compositions, depicted in milky creams and whites, vividly conjure the shimmering salt lakes that characterise this Country.  

Having exhibited in group exhibitions since 2022, Adrian Jurra Tjungurrayi presented his debut solo exhibition at Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne in 2024. His work was featured in Painted Country at Manningham Art Gallery, Doncaster in 2025. The exhibition presented the work of five remarkable Australian First Nations artists: Kunmanara (Nellie Ngampa) Coulthard, Brenda Napaljarri, Clara Napurrula, Rene Sundown and Adrian Jurra Tjungurrayi. In July 2025, he presented his second solo exhibition in Alcaston Gallery.

© The Artist, Papunya Tula Artists and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne     

For an extended CV, please contact Alcaston Gallery at art@alcastongallery.com.au