Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra

Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra (1932 - 2020) Long Jack has been described by Geoffrey and James Bardon as ‘representing the goodness and givingness always within the Aboriginal people’. He was a devout and introspective person, creating compelling traditional Aboriginal images of remarkable spiritual intensity. He portrays his work with religious overtones and its symbolic references to the sanctity of his land, his people and his culture. Long Jack was one of the founding members of the Papunya Tula Artists and his exquisite artworks pay homage and acts as instruments to preserve his culture & ancestral traditions. Born 1932 in his mother’s country ‘Kalipinya’ [an important Rain Dreaming site] he grew up in the bush west of Pilininyanu until his teenage years when his family settled in Haasts Bluff. Here he remained, working as a labourer and stockman until in 1959 when Papunya was established and he moved location to work as a councilor and school yardman. Long Jack and Billy Stockman jointly offered their help in painting some of the smaller murals around Papunya School. The “Honey Ant Dreaming” mural on the school wall was the first ever project done by Aboriginal men on a public building in Australia. COLLECTIONS: National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Art Gallery of N.S.W., Sydney, Holmes a Court Collection, Australia, Mem Aziz Private Collection, Australia Museums and Art Galleries of Northern Territory, Darwin; Galeria R. Poznan, Poland, University of Western Australia Anthropology Museum, Perth 183 x 183 cms Acrylics on Linen Canvas