Ronnie Jampitjinpa

Ronnie was born around 1943 near Muyinnga, about 100 kilometres west of the Kintore ranges. His family moved extensively across the Pintupi territory up through the Northern Territory, living the traditional ways which his people have lived for over 40,000 years.

He was initiated into manhood in the early 1950's at Yumari near his birthplace. Shortly afterwards, due to drought conditions in the 1950's Ronnie and his family moved towards Haast Bluff and then later joined relatives at the newly settled Papunya community. He found work as a fencer making the yards for cattle in the surrounding area.

It was during this time that he started to take an interest in the art movement happening at this time. Shortly after he started painting time he discussed with to many people about moving back into the traditional lands, which is the basis of their lives. His goal was made possible by the establishment of the Kintore settlement in 1981.

By being more in touch with his traditional lands and the Dreaming, Ronnie soon emerged as one of the Papunya Tula major artist. His work reflects his directs ties with his culture, retaining a purity that many other aboriginal artist have not achieved. Ronnnie's work follows the strict Pintupi style of strong circles joined together by connecting lines relating to the people and the land and the Dreamtime.

His work has a simplicity that makes it appealing yet mysterious as the uninitiated try to understand what he is painting. By painting the Dreamtime he is helping to resurrect the Aboriginal culture as a whole and allow outsiders to learn about one of the oldest cultures in the world. This work is important to the spirituality of this land, bridging the gap between European life and Traditional Aboriginal Life, which is important in exposing and healing this gap.

Being one of the major Aboriginal Artists his work has featured in numerous exhibitions and collections around Australia. He has had solo exhibitions at the Utopia Gallery and the Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi. Several of his group exhibitions include the Dreamtime Gallery, The Australian National Gallery and the Art Gallery of South Australia. He is also in permanent collections at the National Gallery and the Art Gallery of Victoria and the Supreme Court of Northern Territory. In 1988 he won the Alice Springs Art Prize which has spearheaded his movement into galleries around the world.