Willy Tjungurrayi
Willy Tjungurrayi (c. 1930/1936 – 2018) was a revered senior Pintupi elder and contemporary Indigenous Australian painter. He was widely celebrated as one of the most significant and influential figures of the Papunya Tula Art movement from the Western Desert. [1, 2]
Born at Patjantja, southwest of Lake Mackay (Wilkinkarra), Tjungurrayi grew up living a completely traditional, nomadic life in the bush. He was raised by his uncle, Charlie Tarawa Tjungurrayi, moving seamlessly across the desert armed only with a woomera (spear-thrower) and nulla-nulla (hunting club). In the late 1950s, his family travelled by camel into the Haasts Bluff settlement before relocating to Papunya. [1, 2, 3]
A Powerful Artistic Lineage
Tjungurrayi belonged to one of the most culturally authoritative family dynasties in Western Desert art history: [1]
- He was the younger brother of Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi, a towering Pintupi elder and a founding father of the Papunya Tula art movement.
- He was the older brother of George Ward Tjungurrayi, another internationally recognized contemporary master. [1]
Artistic Career and Stylistic Evolution
Tjungurrayi formally began painting for the Papunya Tula Artists cooperative in 1976. By the 1980s, he had joined the historic “return to Country” movement, establishing himself as a senior cultural leader in the remote desert community of Kintore (Walungurru). His style underwent a notable transformation across his decades-long career: [1, 2, 3]
- Early Style (1970s–1980s): Reflecting the classic early Pintupi movement, his canvases were structured around bold, heavy concentric circles, intersecting geometric lines, and a traditional, earthy palette dominated by ochres, deep browns, dusky pinks, and creams. [1, 2]
- Late Style (1990s–2000s): In his later years, his aesthetic transformed into a highly sought-after minimalist contemporary style. He moved away from rigid geometry, filling massive canvases with thousands of irregular, undulating lines composed of incredibly fine, pale pointillist dotting. These mesmerizing, flowing compositions perfectly evoke the visual haze of desert sand dunes shifting in the wind or sweeping hailstorms. [1, 2]
Cultural Themes: The Tingari Cycle
As a senior initiated lawman, Tjungurrayi held the sacred authority to paint the most foundational layers of the Tingari Cycle. His paintings serve as intricate, encoded topographical records of his ancestral homelands—mapping vital rockholes, salt pans, and soakage sites across Kulkuta, Tjukula, Warrabri, and Lake Mackay. His lines map the paths of the ancient Tingari ancestors who created the laws, landscape, and survival routes of the Pintupi people. [1, 2, 3]
Collections and Global Legacy
Tjungurrayi passed away in Alice Springs in 2018, leaving behind an enormous artistic legacy. His minimalist desert masterpieces are held in premier institutional collections globally, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), Parliament House in Canberra, and the Aboriginal Art Museum in Utrecht, The Netherlands. [1, 2, 3]
Would you like to explore how his style differed from his brother George Ward Tjungurrayi, look into the Tingari songlines of Lake Mackay, or discover where his works are currently on public display?

Oct 10, 2026
Willy Tjungurrayi (c. 1930 – 2018 ) Tali, 2009
Millon & Associes
Sold: €2,400
Oct 07, 2026
Lawsons
Sold: AUD800
Sep 30, 2026
Lawsons
Sold: AUD700
Sep 28, 2026
Lawsons
Sold: AUD900
Aug 24, 2026
Lawsons
Passed
Aug 24, 2026
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,800
Aug 19, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (BORN CIRCA 1930), Untitled
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD1,400
Aug 19, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (CIRCA 1932-2018), Men’s Ceremony
Gibson’s
Passed
Aug 19, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (CIRCA 1932-2018), Snake Dreaming
Gibson’s
Passed
Aug 04, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 116cm x 212cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD3,000
Jun 25, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 116cm x 212cm
Ozbid Auctions
Passed

May 28, 2026
Willy Tjungurrayi, Untitled, 2014
Deutscher and Hackett
Passed
May 25, 2026
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,800
May 19, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, Untitled, 1997
Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art)
Sold: AUD750
May 05, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c. 1932 – 2018), Yawutinya 1978, synthetic polymer paint on composition board
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Passed
Mar 22, 2026
Willy Tjungurrayi (Australian, 1932-2018).
Fine Estate Inc.
Sold: $700
Feb 17, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (c. 1932-2018), Tali, 2010
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD3,400
Jan 26, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on canvas., 100cm x 157cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD1,400
Jan 26, 2026
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 112cm x 210cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD1,400

Nov 18, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING – ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD1,400

Oct 11, 2025
Willy Tjungurrayi (c. 1930 – 2018 ) Sans titre
Millon & Associes
Sold: €3,600

Oct 11, 2025
Willy Tjungurrayi (c. 1930 – 2018 ) Sans titre
Millon & Associes
Sold: €3,500
Sep 28, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 46cm x 100cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD850
Aug 12, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (c1932-2018), Men’s Ceremony
Gibson’s
Sold: AUD2,400

Jul 24, 2025
Leonard Joel
Passed
Jul 02, 2025
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,200
Jun 23, 2025
Lawsons
Passed
Jun 17, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, Kiritjinya, Tingari Young Men Story, 1976
Art Leven (formerly Cooee Art)
Sold: AUD8,000
May 26, 2025
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,400
Apr 06, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 120cm x 245cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD3,750
Mar 24, 2025
Lawsons
Passed
Mar 24, 2025
Lawsons
Sold: AUD2,600
Mar 16, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (1932 -), Tali, acrylic on linen, 120 x 120 x 2 cm. (47.2 x 47.2 x 0.7 in.)
Lawsons
Sold: AUD2,000

Mar 09, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING – ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD1,500
Feb 23, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 122cm x 247cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD2,300
Jan 27, 2025
Lawsons
Passed
Jan 27, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 121cm x 245cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD2,400
Jan 02, 2025
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 103cm x 212cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD2,200
Dec 18, 2024
Lawsons
Passed
Dec 08, 2024
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 103cm x 212cm
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Nov 17, 2024
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 121cm x 245cm
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Oct 07, 2024
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (c.1936-2018), “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 120cm x 245cm
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Oct 02, 2024
Willy Tjungurrayi, (1932-2018), Tali Sandhills 2009, Acrylic on linen
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Passed

Sep 22, 2024
Willy Tjungurrayi (b1936- d2018) acrylic on linen
Yarra Valley Auctions
Sold: AUD1,200

Sep 19, 2024
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (UNTITLED),
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD1,800

Sep 12, 2024
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, (UNTITLED),
Leonard Joel
Passed
Aug 25, 2024
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,900
Jul 29, 2024
Willy Tjungurrayi, (1932-2018), Tali Sandhills 2009, Acrylic on linen
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Passed
Jul 15, 2024
Willy Tjungurrayi, (c. 1932-2018), Untitled, 2007, acrylic on linen, 150 x 180 cm
Shapiro Auctioneers
Sold: AUD3,000
Jul 07, 2024
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, “Tingari”, Acrylic on linen., 134cm x 212cm
Ozbid Auctions
Sold: AUD2,000
Jun 23, 2024
Lawsons
Passed

Jun 16, 2024
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
May 26, 2024
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,800

Mar 26, 2024
Deutscher and Hackett
Sold: AUD10,000
Feb 25, 2024
Lawsons
Sold: AUD1,100

Dec 03, 2023
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI “Tingari” Acrylic on linen
Ozbid Auctions
Passed

Nov 05, 2023
Ozbid Auctions
Passed
Oct 02, 2023
Willy Tjungurrayi, , Tingari Cycle 2013, Acrylic on canvas
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Passed

Jun 06, 2023
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, UNTITLED (TINGARI), 1981
Deutscher and Hackett
Sold: AUD19,000

Oct 26, 2022
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING – Acrylic on canvas
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD900

Sep 27, 2022
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING – Acrylic on canvas
GFL Fine Art
Passed

Sep 27, 2022
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING – Acrylic on canvas
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD600

Mar 13, 2022
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING – Acrylic on canvas
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD1,100

Mar 08, 2022
Willy Tjungurrayi & Ronnie Tjampitjinpa – Tingari Coolamon & Tingari Shield, 2010
Cooee Art
Sold: AUD6,000

Oct 24, 2021
Ozbid Auctions
Passed

Aug 22, 2021
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD950

Aug 22, 2021
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD800

Jul 25, 2021
Christian McCann Auctions
Sold: AUD35,000

Jul 04, 2021
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI “Travelling Story”
Ozbid Auctions
Passed

Jun 08, 2021
Willy Tjungurrayi – Tingari, 1981
Cooee Art
Sold: AUD7,500

May 25, 2021
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – TINGARI DREAMING
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD2,800

Mar 07, 2021
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – (B.c.1932-2018) – TINGARI DREAMING
GFL Fine Art
Passed

Mar 07, 2021
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – (B.c.1932-2018) – TINGARI CYCLE
GFL Fine Art
Passed

Mar 07, 2021
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – (B.c.1932-2018) – TINGARI DREAMING
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD2,000

Feb 24, 2021
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD4,800
Dec 08, 2020
Gibson’s
Passed
Dec 08, 2020
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (BORN CIRCA 1930)
Gibson’s
Passed

Oct 20, 2020
Willy Tjungurrayi – Tingari Cycle, 1995
Cooee Art
Sold: AUD4,600

Aug 16, 2020
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – (B.c.1932-2018) – TINGARI DREAMING
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD3,000

Aug 16, 2020
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI – (B.c.1932-2018) – TINGARI DREAMING
GFL Fine Art
Sold: AUD1,400

Jun 15, 2020
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (BORN CIRCA 1930) Spear 2003
Gibson’s
Passed

Jun 15, 2020
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (BORN CIRCA 1930) Spear 2003
Gibson’s
Passed

May 26, 2020
Shapiro Auctioneers
Sold: AUD7,200

Dec 05, 2019
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, TINGARI DREAMING, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 100 X 150CM (UNSTRETCHED)
Leonard Joel
Passed

Nov 24, 2019
Willy Tjungurrayi (b.c.1932-2018) Papunya Tali Acrylic on linen
Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers
Sold: AUD400

Oct 31, 2019
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI, TINGARI DREAMING, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 100 X 150CM (UNSTRETCHED)
Leonard Joel
Passed

Apr 04, 2019
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (born c.1930) Untitled 1989 acrylic on linen
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD1,000

Mar 19, 2019
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (born c.1930) Untitled 1989 acrylic on linen
Leonard Joel
Passed

Feb 28, 2019
Willy Tjungurrayi (c1932 – ) – Tingari Cycle, 2010 120 x 123cm
Lawsons
Passed

Nov 27, 2018
Willy Tjungurrayi (c.1932-2018) Tingari at Kaakuratintja 2003
Cooee Art
Passed

Sep 27, 2018
Willy Tjungurrayi (c1932 – ) – Tingari, 2006 206 x 60cm (stretched & ready to hang)
Lawsons
Sold: AUD900

Sep 04, 2018
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (born c.1930) Tingari At Kaakuratintja 2006 acrylic on linen
Leonard Joel
Sold: AUD3,200

Aug 23, 2018
Willy Tjungurrayi (c1932 – ) – Tingari Cycle, 2010 120 x 123cm
Lawsons
Passed

Jul 30, 2018
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (born c.1930) Untitled 1989 acrylic on linen
Leonard Joel
Passed

Mar 20, 2018
WILLY TJUNGURRAYI (born c.1930) Untitled 1989 acrylic on linen
Leonard Joel
Passed

Dec 10, 2017
Rietveld Art House
Passed
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