Artist

Adrian Jurra Tjapaltjarri 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 Tjapaltjarri has painted with Papunya Tula Artists from 2003, learning to paint from his father, the renowned artist Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri, a respected ceremonial and community leader of the Pintupi people and former Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists. Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri 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 Tjapaltjarri 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, Tjapaltjarri 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 Tjapaltjarri will present his debut solo exhibition at Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne in 2024. 

© The Artist, Papunya Tula Artists, Melbourne 2024     

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