This is soakwater country in the Great Sandy Desert. We can walk around this country after the wet season when there is plenty of water.
When it’s dry you can see claypan around the water jumu and flowers grow. Pretty flowers all colours the desert come to life again.
Name: Ngarralja Tommy May
Language: Walmajarri, Wangkajunga
Community: Mindi Rardi
Biography:
Ngarralja is a Wangkajunga/Walmajarri man. He was born at Yarrnkurnja in the Great Sandy Desert. He dances and sings Kurtal, a ceremony relating to the main jila [living waterhole] in his country. He is also a painter and printmaker.
I was big when I left my country. I was already hunting by myself. I was with my young brother and my mother. My father had passed away by this time. I know these stories and these places in my country. I paint these now. We are not allowed to paint that story for other people’s country. We will get killed or into trouble if we do this. We put that easy story, not a really hard story like law business. We can’t paint that either. I first saw paintings in caves. I learned a lot from people, mostly my father and grandfather. I was living all around in my country, camping all around. When I paint I think about this.
Ngarralja is fluent in Wangkajunga, Walmajarri and English and writes Walmajarri. He is a founding member of the Karrayili Adult Education centre where he learnt to read and write his own language and English. Ngarralja is an important person for art and culture in Fitzroy Crossing. He is a former Deputy Chairman of Mangkaja Arts and former Chairman of Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Cultural Centre (KALACC). Ngarralja was also an executive for twenty one years on the Association of Northern Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA) Board of Directors. Ngarralja lives with his wife and children at Mindi Rardi Community in Fitzroy Crossing.
PAINTING THEMES:
Pulany Jirtirl ngapa jila [living waterhole] Louisa Downs country
Yarrngkurrnja hill
Ngarrangkarni [Dreamtime] stories Karntawarra in the Great Sandy Desert Country from east of the Canning Stock Route
Mukurrutu waterhole in the Great Sandy Desert
Purrkarra rockhole in the Great Sandy Desert
Tali [sandhill], jumu [soakwater] and bush foods from the Great Sandy Desert
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2009 | Luka [Mud] with wife Dorothy May | Brigitte Braun Gallery, Melbourne, VIC |
2007 | Lau Lau | Austialian Print Workshop, Melbourne, VIC |
2007 | Jilji Jaa Marrtuwarra with wife Dorothy May | Brigitte Braun Gallery, Melbourne, VIC |
GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2009 | Mangkaja Artists 60x60 | Randell Lane Fine Art, WA |
2009 | Mangkaja Survey Show | Short Street Gallery, Broome, WA |
2009 | Senior Artists from Fitzroy Crossing | Suzanne O’Connell Gallery, Brisbane, QLD |
2008 | More Than a Few Good Men | Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD |
2007 | Jilji Jaa Martuwarra [Desert Side River Side] | Brigitte Braun Gallery, Melbourne, VIC |
2007 | Fremantle Print Award | Fremantle Arts Centre, WA |
2006 | Impressions 2006 - Limited edition prints | Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne, VIC |
2005 | Surprise; Cory & Friends | Red Dot Gallery, Singapore |
2005 | Too Much Good Work | Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT |
2005 | True Colours - Recent works from Fitzroy Crossing | Queensland College of Art Gallery, Grif?th University, QLD |
2004 | This is Still My Country | Artplace, Perth, WA |
2004 | Ngurrara Canvas | Perth Concert Hall, Perth International Arts Festival, WA |
2004 | ON TRACK: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Western Australia | Berndt Museum of Anthropology University of Western Australia |
2004/05 | Colour Power: Aboriginal Art Post 1984 | National Gallery of Victoria |
2003 | Jila, Jumu, Jiwari & Wirrkuja | Cullity Gallery, University of Western Australia |
2003 | Murrkunkura Ngarrangkarnijangka Ngurrara [Three Men’s Countries] | Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT |
2002 | Native Title Business Contemporary Indigenous Art | National Travelling Exhibition |
2002 | The 16th Asian International Art Exhibition | Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou, China |
2002 | Group Show | Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne, VIC |
2001 | Ngurrara Canvas | National Gallery of Australia, ACT |
2001 | Mangkaja Arts Ten Years On, Mangkaja’s 10 year Anniversary Show | Tandanya, Adelaide, SA |
2001 | 18th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award | Museum and Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin, NT |
2001 | Impressions! An exhibition of prints | Coomalie Culture Centre/Batchelor, NT |
2001 | Group Show | Australian Print Workshop Gallery, Melbourne, VIC |
2000 | Fremantle Print Award | Fremantle Art Centre, WA |
2000 | : People in a Landscape: Contemporary Australian Prints | Cultural Centre of the Phlippines, Manila |
2000 | Proof Positive | Gold Treasury Museum, Melbourne, VIC |
2000 | Noumea-Paci?que 2000 | Biennale D’Art Contemporain de Noumea |
2000 | Cutting Comments: Contemporary Lino Cut Prints 1995-98 | Silk Cut Award travelling exhibition |
1999 | Ngurrara | Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA |
1999 | Story Boards: Ceramic tiles from the Kimberley | Fremantle Art Centre, WA |
1998 | Group Show | Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London |
1997 | Heritage Commission Art Award | Old Parliament House, Canberra, ACT |
1996 | Fremantle Print Award | Fremantle Art Centre, WA |
1996 | 13th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award | Museum and Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin, NT |
1996 | Heritage Commission Art Award | Old Parliament House, Canberra, ACT |
1996 | Mangkaja Paper Works | Tandanya Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA |
1995 | 12th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award | National Tour |
1995 | Fremantle Print Award | Fremantle Art Centre, WA |
1995 | Prints from the APW Collection Survey show of recent works from the APW archive | Australian Print Workshop |
1994 | Ngajakura Ngurrara Minyarti [This is My Country] | Festival of Perth Exhibition, WA Artplace Gallery, Perth, WA |
1993 | Images of Power | National Gallery of Victoria |
1993 | 11th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award | National Tour |
1993 | Mangkaja Women | Fremantle Art Centre, WA |
1993 | Images of Power: Aboriginal Art from the Kimberley | National Gallery Victoria |
1992 | Group Show | Hogarth Gallery, Sydney, NSW |
1991 | Karrayili | Tandanya, National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA
|
|
POSITIONS HELD:
2007-2009: Men’s Chairperson: Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC)
This position required Ngarralja Tommy May to:
Represent KALACC to assist and promote the ceremonies, songs and dances of the Kimberley people to encourage and strengthen tje social, cultural and legal values and ensure the traditions are given deserved recognition in Australian society
2009: Representative of KALACC on the National Heritage Board for the
Kimberley Land Council (KLC)
This position requires Ngarralja Tommy May to:
Sit on the Board as a special advisor to the KLC on Heritage matters in the Kimberley.
1987-2008: Association of Northern Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA)
Positions held:
Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Ordinary Director, Stand-In Director
2006-09: Cultural Liaison Of?cer
Canning Stock Route Project
2005: KALACC representative with Wayne Bergmann
Met the King and Queen of Sweden in Perth and dined with them to discuss the importance of repatriation.
1998: KALACC representative
Visited Parliament House in Canberra with Joe Brown
Member of the Indigenous Reference Group on Intellectual Property
This position requires Ngarralja Tommy May to:
Travel to workshops to advise and develop policy on Indigenous copyright issues Represent the views of local Aboriginal people at conferences in relation to Indigenous copyright issues
Hold meetings locally to let people know about the issues discussed at the reference group meetings
Founder of Mangkaja Arts and Deputy Chairman
This position requires Ngarralja Tommy May to: Act on behalf of the Chairman in his absence Provide leadership to the executive
Provide direction to the manager
PUBLIC ART:
2012: Fitzroy Crossing Police Station
2010: Fitzroy Valley High School
2008: Fitzroy Valley Education Centre – Panels Project
2008: Fitzroy Crossing Hospital - paintings on canvas, foyer ?oor design
COLLECTIONS:
National Museum of Australia
National Gallery of Victoria
Curtin University Collection, Perth Queensland State Art Gallery Berndt Museum of Anthropology Australian Print Workshop
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide
Carleton College Art Collection, North?eld Minnesota
Kennesaw State University Little Creatures Collection Fitzroy Crossing High School Fitzroy Crossing Hospital
PUBLICATIONS/FILMS:
2009 | FORM and the National Museum of Australia Canning Stock Route Project: Ngurra Kuju Walyja [One Country One People] |
2007 | FORM and the National Museum of Australia The Canning Stock Route Project |
2007 | Art Gallery NSW One Sun One Moon, Aboriginal Art in Australia |
2006 | Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Cultural Centre (KALACC) NEW LEGEND: A Story of Law and Culture and the Fight for Self-Determination in the Kimberley |
2005 | Exhibition Catalogue: Red Dot Gallery, Singapore Surprise; Cory and Friends |
2004 | National Gallery of Victoria Colour Power: Aboriginal art post 1984 |
2004 | University of Western Australia / Berndt Museum of Anthropology ON TRACK: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Western Australia |
2003 | Exhibition Catalogue: Cullity Gallery UWA Perth / Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency Martuwarra and Jila [River and Desert] |
2003 | Australian Art Collector. Review / Maurice O’Riordan |
2003 | New Yorker Magazine July 28, 2003 The Painted Desert: The Fate of an Aboriginal Masterpiece |
2002 | Joan Winter. Gurang Land Council. Regional Galleries Assn. QLD Native Title Business: Contemporary Indigenous Art |
2002 | Exhibition Catalogue Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art / Marrawarra and Jila entry / Ngurrara Canvas 1 entry |
2002 | Video Documentary / ABC Television. Kurtal; Snake Spirit |
2000 | Oxford University Press & ANU Oxford Companion to Aboriginal Art and Culture / Ngurrara Entry |
2000 | IATSIS Canberra Karrayili: The History of Karrayili Adult Education Centre |
1996 | Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre Publication Yirra: Land Law and Language, Strong and Alive |
1993 | National Gallery of Victoria Images of Power: Aboriginal Art of the Kimberleys |
Jilji- Pinti Lake “This is about Jilji (sandhills) on both sides and Pinti Lake in the middle. The grass and trees grows around the Pinti Lake”.
Kurtal Country “This place in the desert. It’s all my country. My father took me all around there when I was a young boy.”
