Wangka Walytja is an exhibition that celebrates the illustrated literature of Papunya and its creators, exploring the rich storytelling tradition that emerged between 1978 and 1990. This immersive exhibition highlights the vibrant artistic and educational efforts of Pintupi-Luritja illustrators, authors, and community members, who responded to the NT Bilingual Education Program by creating hundreds of illustrated books at the Papunya Literature Production Centre. These works, along with the Tjakulpa newsletter, original drawings, manuscripts, and photographs, form the heart of the exhibition.

A new generation of Papunya creatives is also featured, using digital media, animation, and audio-visual technologies to breathe new life into these storytelling traditions. The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections: People and Literature Production, Life at Papunya, and Stories and Storytelling, offering a dynamic view of Pintupi-Luritja knowledge and creativity across generations.

Acknowledging the powerful intersection of creativity, language, and education in honor of the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032). While Papunya is known for its role in the rise of contemporary Indigenous art in Australia, less recognised is the pivotal work of the founding artists’ children. They translated ancient storytelling traditions into written language and visual imagery. The term Wangka Walytja, meaning “one’s own language, story, or family,” encapsulates the intent behind these works: to preserve and share knowledge, culture, and language through the verbal and visual arts.

This exhibition showcases three generations of artistic production in Papunya—from the original storytellers and founding artists, to their children who became the first authors and illustrators, to a new generation who have transformed these stories through digital media. Spanning oral traditions, illustrated books, and multimedia, Wangka Walytja offers a unique opportunity to experience works created by and for the Pintupi-Luritja people, celebrating their culture on their own terms and in their own language.

““We learnt from the old people – the artists doing the dot paintings back then – and we thought, ‘Oh we’ll do a bit different than that one. We’ll draw a picture.’ That’s how we came to put the books out.” – Douglas Multa

“It was really wonderful how they illustrated all those traditional cultural stories with such fantastic authenticity and creativity. And we focused on the collecting and recording process of the stories and the transcriptions. So that was our working life.”  – Charlotte Phillipus

“We created all these books together with the old people in Papunya, many of whom have now passed on, those dear things. We devoted a great many years to this work – more than ten years – a lifetime.” – Dennis Kulata Nelson

“We really did some significant work there.” – Priscilla Brown

Artback NT is assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and Proudly Sponsored by Arts NT. This exhibition has been made possible by Arts NT – Arts Projects and CBF – Minor Community Grants funding through Northern Territory Government.

Wangka Walytja is a collaboration between the University of Queensland and Papunya Tjupi Arts, funded by the Australian Research Council, Creative Australia, and the Regional Arts Fund.

Download Prospectus [3 MB]

Curators:

Dennis Nelson Tjakamarra
Dennis Nelson (Kulata), son of Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula, founding artist of the Papunya painting movement, and Gladys (Yawitji) Napanangka, one of the first women to paint for Papunya Tula Artists. Dennis contributed to the production of over 100 bilingual storybooks at the Papunya Literacy Production Centre in the 1980s. He takes pride in painting meticulously in the style his father taught him. His participation in Wangka Walytja rekindles his passion for drawing in the style perfected by his father.

Charlotte Phillipus Napurrula
Born in Haasts Bluff/Ikuntji, Charlotte is the eldest daughter of the founding Papunya Tula artist Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra. Over the years painting at Papunya Tjupi, Charlotte developed her own meticulous version of his Kalipinypa Kapi Tjukurrpa. She also paints unique children’s stories harking back to the over 50 storybooks she wrote as a literacy worker at Papunya Literature Production Centre in the ‘80s. A fully qualified teacher and strong advocate for bilingual education, she worked for decades in the classrooms of Papunya School and chaired the project’s Steering Committee from its inception.

Karen McDonald
Karen was born in Papunya and grew up at Blackwater Outstation attending school in Papunya and later Yirara College Alice Springs. A skilled translator and linguist, she worked at Papunya school as an assistant teacher for many years. Karen paints her grandmother’s story, Kungka Tjukurrpa at Ilpilli. Her artwork continues to evolve in new directions and has incorporated poems, text, and images. She is a strong voice in curatorial decision making for Wangka Walytja.

Roslyn Dixon
Roslyn came to Papunya as a young girl and was raised by Topsy Napaltjarri and her husband Mick Wallankarri Tjakamarra, one of the founders of Papunya Tula Artists. She is the granddaughter of Paddy Carroll Tjungarrayi, another important Papunya lawman and painter. She attended Papunya school and later Yirara College Alice Springs. Back in Papunya she worked for World Vision and currently works at Papunya School. Roslyn first painted with Warumpi Arts and at Warlukurlangu Artists Yuendumu before Tjupi Arts opened in Papunya. Roslyn is married to Watson Corby and has six children, five sons and a daughter. She is an enthusiastic contributor to curatorial decisions for Wangka Walytja.

Vivien Johnson
Vivien Johnson is a writer, teacher, researcher, and curator, who has contributed to Aboriginal art scholarship and advocacy over many decades. Her monographs on Western Desert artists were foundational and her work on Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights recognised nationally and internationally. In 2019, after a decade working with Charlotte Phillipus and Dr Samantha Disbray to preserve, protect and restore to circulation the Pintupi-Luritja Bilingual Collection at Papunya School, she was awarded a National Library of Australia fellowship to research its collection of Papunya readers. The library has since digitised all 350 books, available on Trove following the exhibition.

Samantha Disbray
Samantha is a linguist, researcher, and Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland. Since 1999, she has worked with Central Australian communities, focusing on Indigenous languages in education. She has published on the Northern Territory Bilingual Education Program and contributed to language revitalisation projects, including Ankkinyi Apparr, Ankkinyi Mangurr with Warumungu speakers and Wangka Walytja with Pintupi-Luritja people from Papunya. Samantha also convenes the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalisation at the University of Queensland.

Artists:

Dennis Nelson Tjakamarra

Thomas Stevens Tjapangati (dec)

Abraham Stockman Tjungarrayi (dec)

Douglas Multa Tjupurrula

Charlotte Phillipus Napurrula

Obed Raggett (dec)

Sabrina Ferguson (Kantawarra) Nalamarra (dec)

Murphy Roberts Tjupurrula (dec)

Karen McDonald

Roslyn Dixon