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GEORGE WARD TJUNGURRAYI (born circa 1955)
Acrylic on Belgian linen
183 x 153 cm

This painting depicts designs associated with Kaakuratintja (Lake MacDonald). In mythological times a large group of Tingari men travelled to this site from the west. Upon arrival they encountered two Tingari men of the Tjapaltjarri kinship subsection who lived at Kaakuratintja. Prior to arriving at this site the group of visiting men had hunted and killed an emu. The Tjapaltjarri brothers asked the men to share their emu, however the men refused,
which made the Tjapaltjarri’s very angry. The brothers then turned into a snake by stretching
their legs out until their toes touched, and then sang and created a huge storm that blew away all the visiting mens’ spears into the sky. The spears then fell out of the sky and killed some of the men, while the rest were killed by a fierce hailstorm also created by the brothers.
It is believed that many water snakes still live at this site. Since events associated with the Tingari Cycle are of a secret nature no further detail is given.

PROVENANCE
Papunya Tula Artists Pty. Ltd., Alice Springs, painted at Kintore 2005,
Certificate number GW0510143

George was born near the site of Lararra, east of the Tjukurla in Western Australia. His first
contact with white people was made through one of the welfare patrols led by Jeremy Long
and Nosepeg Tjupurrula at a rockhole south of Kiwirrkura. After travelling into Papunya he
worked as both a fencer and a butcher in the Papunya kitchen. George’s father was also the
father of Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi and Willy Tjungurrayi and although they had different
mothers, he considered them very close brothers.
George Ward Tjungurrayi was the winner of the Wynne Prize in 2004.

REPRESENTED
National Gallery of Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales