Fred Tjakamarra
Fred Tjakamarra was a senior Law Man born in 1926, who first encountered white men when he saw stockmen droving cattle en route to Alice Springs. He lived a traditional lifestyle in Warlpiri country, north of Lake Mackay and south of the Balgo Hills community, a region that spans the borders of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. He began painting in the mid-1980s and produced a substantial body of work until his death in 2006 at the age of 80.
Artistic Themes
Fred Tjakamarra's work encompasses various significant cultural and ceremonial themes:
- Wati Kutjarra (Two Men Dreaming)
- Karnaputta (Women’s Law)
- Water and Rainmaking
- Tingari Cycle
- Rainbow Snakes
- Waringarri
- Lappi Lappi (for etchings)
Collections
Fred Tjakamarra's work is included in numerous prestigious collections worldwide:
- Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands
- Berndt Museum of Anthropology, University of Western Australia
- John Curtin Art Collection, Curtin University
- Kluge Ruhe Collection, USA
- Laverty Collection
- The Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica, USA
- University of Western Australia
- National Gallery of Victoria
Group Exhibitions
Fred Tjakamarra's work has been exhibited extensively, both in Australia and internationally:
- 2014: Balgo: Past and Present , Coo-ee Art Gallery, Sydney
- 2006: Warlayirti Suite , Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne; All About Art , Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
- 2005: Chefs d'Oeuvre - Maitres du Desert , Galerie DAD, Mantes-la-Jolie, France; Balgo 2005 , Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
- 2004: EXPLAINED: A Closer Look at Aboriginal Art , Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 2003: Christmas Gift Exhibition , Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne
- 2002: An Artists Survey, Balgo Hills , Hogarth Galleries, Paddington
- 2001: Salon ART PARIS, Arts d'Australie , Stéphane Jacob / Carrousel du Louvre, Paris
- 1999: Australie – Art, Arts d'Australie , Stéphane Jacob / J.L. Amsler - Bastille, Paris
- 1997: L’Art des Aborigènes d’Australie , Arts d'Australie, Stéphane Jacob / Galerie de Stassart, Bruxelles; L’Art des Aborigènes d’Australie , Arts d'Australie, Stéphane Jacob / Espace Paul Riquet, Béziers
- 1994: The Eleventh National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition , Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
- 1990: Aboriginal Art Exhibition , Dreamtime Gallery, Broadbeach, Qld.; Paintings from Kukatja Country , Deutcher Gallery, Melbourne
- 1989: Warlayirti Artists , Birukmarri Gallery, Freemantle, WA
Legacy
Fred Tjakamarra's artistic legacy is closely associated with the Balgo Hills, a region situated at the junction of the Tanami Desert and the Great Sandy Desert in a remote part of Western Australia. Paintings from the mission at Wirramanu started the art movement in this region in the late 1970s, and it continues today through Warlayirti Artists. His work continues to be highly regarded and collected.
