Artist: Bevan Tjampitjinpa
Born: 1980
Skin Name: Jampitjinpa
Language: Anmatyere
Area: Ti Tree (200 north of Alice Springs)
Dreaming: Ahgee (Bush Plum) Hunting Stories
Bevan Tjampitjinpa was born in Darwin and grew up visiting his homeland. He studied in Darwin until year 10 before moving to Ti Tree which is his Grandmother, Grandfather and Mothers country. Due to repercussions of the stolen generation, it was later that he moved to live with his elders on the Anmatjere Lands. He loved permanently with his elders for the next 10 years learning and being taught the traditional ways and being initiated into the ceremonies and the laws of the desert region. Bevan specks Anmatjere and knows the traditional law and how to hunt for bush tucker and bush animals.
Bevan was taught to paint by elders in his family. From an early age, he was interested in his families art and wanted to learn how it was done. He was taught by Peggy Nungulla riley, Beryl Pultura, Barbra Leo, Judith Ross, Tommy Mbtajana and Mark Cook.
The learning covered a variety of techniques which include symbols and how to differentiate various landscape features into the canvas. He was also taught how to make spears, shields and fighting sticks (nulla nulla) which are an important part of the hunting stories he portrays.
He was encouraged to pick up a brush and a stick to create his own paintings which took a number of years to get the right technique to perfect his are. He uses the traditional symbols to reflect hunting stories that he has been involved in and also women’s hunting and gathering expeditions that he has participated in to tell a modern story of how his family group and clan currently live.
Bevan’s presentation of his artwork shows the world a beautiful and educational story of his culture, family group and the depth of spirituality of his people and displays a little of the diversity and depth of his home and culture. His focus is on hunting stories and every day life of his people and how they find and gather food for the family group. Bevan’s painting s depict the traditional women’s gathering and the men’s large game hunting.
The main source of life for people in this harsh desert is the waterhole that is depicted in most of the paintings with life surrounding it.
Galleries:
Red Sands – Ti Tree
Gallery Gondwana – Alice Springs
Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre – Alice Springs
Central Art Aboriginal Art Store – Alice Springs
Katherine Art Gallery – Katherine
Coomalie Culture Centre – Batchelor
Didgeridoo Hut – Arnhem Highway Darwin
Indigenous Creations – Darwin
Readback Books and Aboriginal Art Gallery – Darwin
Aboriginal Fine Arts – Darwin
Darwin Souvenirs and Gifts – Darwin
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