Dinni Campbell Jampitjinpa

Dinni Campbell was born in the early 1940's in the Pintupi country west of Kiwirrkura, across the Western Australia border near Jupiter Well. He grew up in 'the bush' living a traditional life with his family and had already been initiated when the group walked into the Catholic Mission Settlement of Balgo in the late 1950's. During this time Dinny was given a basic education and learned his trade of stockwork and wood carting.

In the 1970's Dinny was visiting relatives at the Papunya settlement, the birth place of Aboriginal Art, he observed the old men painting. His older brother Anatjara Jampitjinpa, one of the original group of Papunya artists started to teach Dinni how to paint his Dreamings on canvas.

In 1981 Dinni settled permanently at the Papunya Settlement and was one of the team who assisted Uta Uta Jangala on the monumental canvas depicting events at the site of Yumari. This canvas has since travelled the world as part of the Aboriginal Arts Board Collection. This was part of the Balgo Adult Education Centre which original had the artists painting Christian themes before they were encouraged to paint their traditional subjects.

Dinni was influenced by the artists at Balgo (e.g. the linked dotting), which stood out among the artists at Papunya. He offered a unique style which blended several different traditional techniques into one. While painting at Papunya he stands out as one the unique artists painting today.

He paints the stories of the Tingari Cycle in his country around Lake Nyaru and Walatju. Married with two children, he is one of the most dedicated artists currently working out of Papunya. His work is featured in the National Gallery of Victoria, The Supreme Court of Darwin and The New South Wales Art Gallery and many other private and public collections around the world.