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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Ronnie Tjampitjimpa 2007

2007 (printed 2008)
Greg Weight

inkjet print on paper (sheet: 50.0 cm x 39.8 cm, image: 39.8 cm x 32.5 cm)

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa (b. c. 1943), Pintupi painter, grew up around the Western Australia-Northern Territory border and was initiated at Yumari, near his birthplace. He began painting in about 1971 at Papunya, where he had worked as a labourer.

Images in his work are based on the initiated men's song cycle, the Tingari Cycle, which tells of Dreamtime beings who travelled across the country, gathering at various sites - rockholes, sand hills, sacred mountains and water soakages - for initiation ceremonies and creating the country along the way. Ronnie Tjampitjinpa was one of the first artists to represent such ancient stories with modern mediums. In 1981 he moved to Kintore in his traditional country. His works first appeared in Papunya Tula exhibitions during the 1970s; commercial exhibitions followed. In 1988 he won the Alice Springs Art Prize; his first Melbourne solo show was the following year. His work has been exhibited overseas and is held in the National Gallery of Australia and all state galleries.

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2010. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Gregory Weight/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Greg Weight (age 61 in 2007)

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa (age 65 in 2007)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Patrick Corrigan AM (130 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency