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Don Tjungurrayi  (1938-) biography

261A Mount Scanzi Road Kangaroo Valley NSW 2577 Australia  T: +612 4465 1494 
www.galeriaaniela.com.au

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Artist:  DON  Tjungurrayi (B.1938-)
Title:
 Male Initiation Ceremony  ENLARGE
Medium: 
Acrylic on Belgian linen
Image Size:
120.5 x 91 cm
Signed:  on reverse
Price (framed): POA
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Don Tjungurrayi pays particular attention to details, he creates the most inspiring and brilliant  paintings. His powerful works have a multi-dimensional nature and sheer physical presence of much contemporary artwork with accuracy and many intricate details and subtle shades of colour.

This very beautiful painting talks about young males initiation ceremony. While many ceremonies are public, Male Initiation Ceremony are secret and strangers, young women, non initiated boys and girls would be limited in attending the sacred ceremonies. They main categories of ceremonies are; education of their sacred laws and behavioral codes and to ensure continuation of totemic species to live in harmony with the land. Aboriginal men perform the ceremonies at different times of the year. Each ceremony has to be organized, supervised and managed and the performance of each ceremony dependents the person ownership, their knowledge as well as their status. A concentric circle represents a meeting place. Ceremonies involve songs, dances and body adornment.

Prices may change without a prior notice, to purchase please contact us

Don Tjungurrayi was born in Y1938 in Tupurirri, then went to Yuendumu school und worked later as a drover and boundary rider. He has painted since the end of the 70´s and won the Alice Springs Art Prize in 1986. Please view Don Tjungurrayi Curriculum Vitae  page 406 Australian Encyclopedia 2004 Aboriginal Artists dictionary of biographies.

COLLECTIONS:
National Gallery Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia
Museum of Victoria
Australian Art Gallery
Queensland Art Gallery

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Wollongong City Art Gallery
National Gallery of Victoria;
Art Bank; Queensland Art Gallery
Ebes Collection; Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs;
Broken Hill Art Gallery;

Homes a Court Collection
Kelton Foundation
California
Kerry Stokes Collection

 

Artist:     DON  Tjungurrayi (B.1938-) Male Initiation Ceremony
Title:
     Male Initiation Ceremony  2002
Medium: 
Acrylic on Belgian linen
Image Size:
120.5 x 91 cm
Signed:  on reverse
Price (framed):  a contemporary gold leaf

Sold with a Certificate from "Warumpi" Aboriginal Community Art Centre

 
Provenance:
rivate collector NSW, purchased from the Aboriginal Community Art Centre "Warumpi" in Alice Springs, "Warumpi" was one of the first Art Centre's run by Aboriginal people.
 

NOTES:
Don pays particular attention to details creating the most inspiring and brilliant  paintings. This powerful work of art has a multi-dimensional nature and sheer physical presence of much contemporary artwork with accuracy and many intricate details and subtle shades of colour.

This very beautiful painting tells about young males initiation ceremony. While many ceremonies are public, Male Initiation Ceremony are secret and strangers, young women, non initiated boys and girls would be limited in attending the sacred ceremonies. They main categories of ceremonies are; education of their sacred laws and behavioral codes and to ensure continuation of totemic species to live in harmony with the land. Aboriginal men perform the ceremonies at different times of the year. Each ceremony has to be organized, supervised and managed and the performance of each ceremony dependents the person ownership, their knowledge as well as their status. A concentric circle represents a meeting place. Ceremonies involve songs, dances and body adornment.

Prices may change without a prior notice. To purchase please contact us

   

Disclaimer: Nothing in this document should be taken as a recommendation to acquire art. Forecasts, projections, current and historical art prices, and statements of opinion contained in this document and our site are only statements of presently held beliefs. They may prove inaccurate. The past performance is not always indicative of future performance and neither art galleries nor Galeria Aniela, Sotheby’s and other auction houses its subsidiaries nor do its associated companies either directly or indirectly guarantee a return. You ought to satisfy yourself with its accuracy and completeness through inspections, surveys, inquiries, searches, tests, and seek your own independent knowledge. Seek consultants and representatives, financial and legal advice. You must not rely solely on the information provided. You ought to build up your own independent knowledge, follow your heart and keep your own independent thinking.

 

Don Tjungurrayi Biography

View Don Tjungurrayi Curriculum Vitae  page 406 Australian Encyclopedia 2004 Aboriginal Artists dictionary of biographies. Don Tjungurrayi was born in Yupurirri, then went to Yuendumu school und worked later as a drover and boundary rider. He has painted since the end of the 70´s and won the Alice Springs Art Prize in 1986.
 
AWARDS:
1986
Alice Springs Art Prize NT

 

COLLECTIONS:
National Gallery Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia
Museum of Victoria
Australian Art Gallery
Queensland Art Gallery

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Wollongong City Art Gallery
National Gallery of Victoria;
Art Bank; Queensland Art Gallery

Ebes Collection; Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs;
Broken Hill Art Gallery;

Homes a Court Collection
Kelton Foundation
California
Kerry Stokes Collection

:
Unlike Western world Aboriginal people inherit stories called “dreaming”.  Each story may include songs, ceremonial dances and rituals creating unique beliefs that the Aboriginal people live by. All stories and beliefs are related to the land and thus the land is great importance to them. The land is the keeper of the stories and must be kept safe for all time so that the stories, which are told in paintings, can be preserved.In modern dot representation is the sacred aspect of painting is not always completely revealed but the meaning, transmitted through symbols remains, and can be understood.

Dreamtime
They believe that the Universe was created by spirits (mystical beings) setting the blueprint for all time the way human may govern their conduct. The spirits gathered their food, dug for water, performing ceremonies as the Aboriginal do it today but the landscape stay unchanged. During the Creation Time spirits shaped all the landscape; hills and water holes and given humans all the sacred laws. That time was known as “Dreamtime” and it came to the end and their ancestor changed into landscape, they turn into a rock or mountain range, an isolated hill, river or even trees arose to mark the place. They look upon these spirits creators as ancestors. Aboriginal believe in an existing connection to their ancestor spirit and to the land. They are spiritual biological beings appreciative of the fragility of the nature and making an effort to live in harmony with the environment. Since every Aboriginal descent of the mythical beings of the “Dreamtime” each person is linked by myth and tribal relationship with the landscape, the rocks and watercourses, and everything else in his tribal country.

Philosophy of life
The philosophy of life, known as Dreamtime (Tjurrkurpa) is based on tradition conceived by totemic ancestors. Men and women believe to be direct descendants in spirit of “mythical architects” who created the land and different totems; kangaroo, Emu, turkey, lizards and the land in which they live. They feel special affinity with their related totem animal species. It is believed that sacred ceremonies have to be re-enacted on a regular basis to maintain the animal species and ensure survival of the humans.  Each family owns a special area of land and must protect sacred sites representing their personal totems Dreamtime spirits. People travel long distances from all directions to participate in the initiation ceremonies and to educate the young. The journey could last days or several months and women hunt and collect food during the voyage.

Aboriginal Secret language
A concentric circle represents a waterhole or a meeting place.

An oval shape symbolize a coolamon which is a wooden bowl used to carry food, water and even babies.

Didgeridoo originated from a northern part of Australia and it is a musical instrument producing profound and remarkable rhythmic sound. It is made from a hollow small tree or a branch of a tree eaten out by termites.

Music sticks comprise of a pair wooden sticks and used in ceremonies as a common drumming instrument to keep the rhythm of the song and dance and to accompany the didgeridoo.

Boomerang are made of mulga-wood and often used by men as a music drumming instrument for ceremonies, there are some variation in length and thickness. Returning boomerangs are mainly found in lake and swamp areas used traditionally by men to scare birds from water ways into pre-nests.

Digging sticks are simple hardwood sticks with sharpen and fired harden point mainly used by women for digging water, lizards, rabbits, witchetty grubs and edible roots.

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