Pirurpa Katalintja (triptych)

TOMMY WATSON
Born: c1935 Anamarapiti WA
Died: 2017
Language: Pitjantjatjara
Country: Irrunytju
Region: Western Desert

Tommy, a senior Pitjantjatjara elder depicted stories from both his mother’s and his grandfather’s country. His distinctive topographical paintings are highly textured with thickly dotted layers and bold colour combinations. Since 2008, Tommy Watson has come to prominence in the primary and secondary markets.Tommy was raised in a traditional nomadic lifestyle before contact with Western culture. Prior to commencing his painting career, Tommy supported himself in variety of jobs, including working as a stockman, a labourer and a road builder. He began painting in 2001, in a small corrugated shed at Irrunytju. In such a short time, he progressed from basic art skills to becoming a master of paint and colour.Tommy has been a finalist of the Telstra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in 2002, 2003 & 2008 and held in most major public collections in Australia, plus a permanent presence at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris.