Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi Artworks
In 2012, the most expensive artwork by renowned Pintupi artist Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi sold for a hammer price of $180,000 AUD, accompanied by original Stuart Art Centre documentation and was featured in the seminal publication Papunya: A Place Made After the Story. This sale highlights Tjungurrayi’s significance within the Western Desert Aboriginal art movement and the growing global appreciation for his work. While that particular piece achieved record value, some experts and collectors consider his 1972 painting, Women’s Dreaming, to be even more remarkable due to its bold composition and striking use of vivid red ochre blocks colour. Among his most celebrated works, Water Story (1972) stands out as a personal favorite, where Tjungurrayi masterfully employed traditional concentric circle motifs in an abstract and intricate manner, counter imposing the deep cultural symbolism of ancestral songlines and impressionist art. His unique style and profound storytelling continue to position him as a pivotal figure in Australian Aboriginal art.
Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi – 1971: Early Experiments in Aboriginal Symbolism
In 1971, the early paintings of Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi, a foundational Pintupi artist of the Papunya Tula movement, reveal a period marked by unrefined linework and a raw, almost naïve visual style. These works are typically painted on monotone backgrounds and utilise traditional Aboriginal earthy colours—red (ochre), white (pipeclay), yellow (ochre), and black (charcoal). These early paintings are important cultural records, depicting sacred objects, ancestral symbols, and traditional Dreaming motifs in a abstract manner. Though his brushwork lacked finesse at this time, it carried an authenticity rooted in cultural knowledge.
Shorty Tjungurrayi’s 1971 works are rare compared to more prolific contemporaries like Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa and Long Jack Phillipus Tjakamarra. Only a few examples from this period have surfaced in the secondary art market, making them particularly significant for collectors of early Western Desert art. These foundational works reflect Tjungurrayi’s early engagement with european paint as he transitioned from ceremonial ground designs to permanent painted surfaces.
Women’s Dreaming 1971
Synthetic polymer, natural earth, pigments and PVA on composition board,
80.5 x 46 cm
Hammerprice: A$40,000
Medicine Story 1971/72
Natural earth pigments and PVA on composition board, bears signed catalogue number 32 on the reverse,
43 x 57.5 cm
Hammerprice: A$12,000
Water Dreaming
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, bears Stuart Art Centre consignment number 14032 on the reverse,
46 x 34 cm
Hammerprice: A$18,000
Snake Dreaming at Lampintjanya, c. 1972
Synthetic polymer powder paint on composition board,
64 x 44 cm
Hammerprice: A$30,000
1972: Artistic Breakthrough and Stylistic Maturity
By 1972, Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi had developed a much more refined and confident painting technique. His linework became precise, and his backgrounds more complex and layered, with intricate dot work and patterned fields that elevated the visual sophistication of his pieces. This period marks a critical transformation in his style, as he began experimenting with multiple background techniques within a single composition—using rows of dots, contrasting line work, and both uniform and irregular dot fields. The result is a dynamic visual rhythm that captured the energy of Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) with greater clarity and aesthetic power.
Tjungurrayi continued using the foundational Aboriginal palette of red, white, black, and yellow ochres but began introducing earthy browns and burnt orange tones, expanding his visual language. His paintings during this time were often executed on composition board—a common building material—and sold through the Stuart Art Centre, a key hub for early Papunya artists. These 1972 works are widely considered the turning point in his career and form the basis of his lasting artistic reputation.
Women’s Dreaming (Two Women) 1972
Synthetic polymer powder paint on composition board, bears size and Stuart Art Centre consignment number 12015 on the reverse of backing board,
64 x 46 cm
Hammerprice: A$87,500
Big Cave Story (1972)
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board,
46.1 x 36.9 cm
Hammerprice: A$180,000
Water Dreaming 1972
Synthetic polymer powder paint on composition board, bears Stuart Art Centre consignment number 17909 on the reverse,
58 x 41 cm
Hammerprice: A$92,000
Water Story 1972
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board
Size not recorded
Hammerprice: A$85,000
Designs Associated with the Travels of Men of the Rock Wallaby Totem 1972
Synthetic polymer paint and natural earth pigments on composition board, bears Stuart Art Centre consignment number 1272118 on reverse,
58.5 x 57 cm
Hammerprice: A$42,000
Death Story (1972)
Synthetic polymer powder paint on composition board,
35.5 x 28.5 cm
Hammerprice: A$7,500
Untitled Water Dreaming 1972
Synthetic polymer powder paint on composition board, bears size and Stuart Art Centre consignment number 1272078 on the reverse of backing board,
47.5 x 33.5 cm
Hammerprice: A$26,000
Untitled, 1972
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board
Size not recorded
Hammerprice: A$7,000
Possum Story 1972
Synthetic polymer powder paint on board, bears Stuart Art Centre consignment number 272111, and size on the reverse,
59 x 45 cm (irregular)
Hammerprice: A$21,000
Untitled 1972
Natural earth pigments and enamel on composition board, bears signed Stuart Art Centre catalogue number 14013 on the reverse,
44.5 x 32 cm
Hammerprice: A$15,000
Children’s Story
Synthetic polymer paint and synthetic binder on composition board,
61 x 51 cm
Hammerprice: A$38,000
Untitled 1972
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board,
46.5 x 53 cm
Hammerprice: A$110,000
Dingo Dreaming 1972
Synthetic polymer powder paint on composition board,
56.5 x 53 cm
UNSOLD
1973–1974: Innovation Through Concentric Circles and Colour Variation
In 1973 and 1974, Tjungurrayi gained access to larger panels of composition board, which allowed him to explore concentric circle motifs on a grander and more experimental scale. These years saw him confidently distort and overlap traditional symbols to produce complex, abstract interpretations of Dreaming narratives. The artist began using a wider spectrum of acrylic paints, including shades of green, and skillfully mixed colours to create subtle gradients and tonal variations within his dotted backgrounds. This period represents a creative peak in Tjungurrayi’s career, where traditional Aboriginal iconography was transformed into visually striking, contemporary forms.
Though references to ceremonial objects and ancestral stories remain embedded in the works, they often take a backseat to the formal and aesthetic achievements of these paintings. His 1974 works, in particular, are viewed as masterpieces of Papunya Tula art, blending cultural depth with innovative visual techniques that challenged and expanded the Western Desert art vocabulary.
Sandhill Dreaming
Undated but likely 1972 -1973
Synthetic polymer/powder paint on composition board, bears Stuart Art Centre consignment number 17010 on the reverse,
40 x 33 cm
Hammerprice: A$100,000
Untitled 1973
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, bears inscription ‘SL731136’ on the reverse,
79.5 x 61 cm
Hammerprice: A$27,000
Man and Bush Tucker at a Waterhole (1973)
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board,
60.5 x 45.5 cm
Hammerprice: A$49,000
Women’s Story (1973)
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, 57 x 43.5 cm
UNSOLD
Untitled 1973
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, bears artist’s name, and dated on reverse,
61 x 41
UNSOLD
Sacred Ancestral Journey, 1973
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, 79 x 61 cm
UNSOLD
Untitled
Undated but likely 1972 – 1973
Synthetic polymer paint and natural earth pigments on composition board,
50.5 x 35.5 cm
Hammerprice: A$140,000
Ancestral Journey c. 1973
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, bears artists name ‘Shorty Lungkata Tjungurayi’ (sic) and cat. no. 2 in pencil, together with a descriptive label on reverse,
79 x 61 cm
UNSOLD
1974
Two Kangaroos at Yanankatjanya 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, bears Papunya Tula catalogue number SL 74980 on reverse,
61 x 46 cm
Hammerprice: A$5,000
The Dreaming Story of Walinji 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, bears Papunya Tula registration catalogue number 74046 on the reverse,
71 x 56 cm
Hammerprice: A$16,000
Mystery Sand Mosaic 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on board
No size recorded
Hammerprice: A$13,000
Untitled 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on board, inscribed verso, ‘Carolyn/Iala tal-nya SL (NA)/74048-SL’,
51 x 45 cm
UNSOLD
Tingari Ceremony at Ilyingaugau 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas,
169 x 102 cm
Hammerprice: A$110,000
Untitled c. 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board (masonite),
122 x 183 cm
Hammerprice: A$72,500
Untitled
Undated but likely 1974
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas-board,
45.5 x 61 cm
Hammerprice: A$4,000
1975 Onwards: Commercialisation and Decline in Innovation
From 1975 onwards, Tjungurrayi began painting on canvas board and stretched canvas, reflecting a shift in materials and market demand. While his work continued to feature classic dot painting techniques and concentric circle motifs, the experimental flair of earlier years began to wane. Between 1975 and 1980, his paintings became more repetitive and commercially oriented, lacking the bold innovations seen in his 1972–74 period. Unlike some of his Papunya peers who continued to evolve their style, Tjungurrayi did not significantly develop a new visual language during this phase.
Although he occasionally revisited the overlapping concentric circles that defined his 1974 successes, they lacked the layered complexity and energy of his earlier efforts. Still, these later works retain cultural significance and are respected for their consistency and connection to Pintupi traditions. For collectors and scholars of Australian Aboriginal art, Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi remains a key figure whose evolving style helped shape the visual foundation of the Western Desert art movement.
Untitled
Undated but likely 1975-76
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas-board,
45.5 x 61 cm
Hammerprice: A$4,000
Untitled, 1976
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, inscribed verso with Papunya Tula Artists cat. SL760221,
76 x 60.5 cm
Hammerprice: A$7,500
Untitled c.1976
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas board,
50.5 x 40 cm
Hammerprice: A$4,600
Untitled (Ceremonial Site) 1976
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas board, bears signed artist’s name, language group and date on the reverse,
61 x 50.5 cm
UNSOLD
Tingari Men at Intirinynga, 1977
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas,
46 x 165 cm
UNSOLD
Two Goannas at Talya Talya, 1978
Synthetic polymer paint on composition board, inscribed verso: ‘Sl 780516 / S / 242 / NGA1’,
91 x 22 cm
Hammerprice: A$4,500
Tingari Men, c. 1978
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas,
163 x 47 cm
Hammerprice: A$28,000
Rumiya Tjukurrpa (1979)
Synthetic polymer paint on linen,
90 x 75 cm
Hammerprice: A$7,000
Minma (Two Women) at Inindinya 1980
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas board, bears Papunya Tula Artists catalogue number SL801102 on the reverse,
40.5 x 51 cm
Hammerprice: A$18,000
Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi References
Papunya Tula art of the Western Desert
Early Papunya Artworks and Articles
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