Ray James Tjangala


Born:                 1953
Region:               Desert
Community Centre:     Kintore Papunya
Language Bloc:        Western Desert
Language:             Pintupi
Social Affiliations:  Tjangala subsection
           
Medium/ Form:         Acrylic paint on canvas


Collections:
Art Gallery of NSW,Sydney
Aboriginal Art Museum, The Netherlands. 
Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide.


Exhibitions:
Group Exhibitions:
2010 - Papunya Tula Artists Community, featuring the work of Makinti Napanangka,Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, 
Kawayi Nampitjinpa, Ray James Tjangala,Jake Tjapaltjarri,Kutungka Napanangka,Patrick Tjungurrayi, 
Joey West Tjupurrula,Kim Napurrula,Yuyuya Nampitjinpa, Tatali Napurrula,Ningura Napurrula,Pantjiya 
Nungurrayi,Kayi Kayi Nampitjinpa,Josephine Nangala, Brenda Napaltjarri,Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula, 
Willy Tjungurrayi,Adam Gibbs Tjapaltjarri,Michael Reid Tjapanangka,Lorna Brown Napanangka,Naata 
Nungurrayi,Wintjiya Napaltjarra,George Tjungurrayi,Yalti Napangati,Elizabeth Marks Nakamarra,Rosie 
Nampitjinpa,Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri,Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri,Debra Nakamarra,Rubilee Napurrula,
Valmayi Nampitjinpa,Wyntjiya Napaltjarri,Payu Napaltjarri,Nyilyari Tjapangati,Bombatu Napangati,
Ngoia Napaltjarri,Josephine Napurrula,Yukultji Napangati,Takariya Napaltjarri,Eileen Napaltjarri,Lorna 
Napanangka,Leonie Napaltjarri,Nanyuma Napangati,Hazel Nakamarra, Utopia Art, Sydney. 

2010 - Tradition and Innovation ? Papunya Tula 2010, featuring Eileen Napaltjarri, Florrie Watson 
Napangati, George Tjungurrayi, Johnny Yungut Tjupurrula, Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri, Josephine Nangala, 
Kawayi Nampitjinpa, Mankinti Napanangka, Nancy Nungurrayi, Narrabri Nakamarra, Ningura Napurrula, 
Nyilyari Tjapangati, Patrick Tjungurrayi, Ray James Tjangala, Richard Yukenbarri Tjakamarra, Tjunkiya 
Napaltjarri, Walangkura Napanangka, Wintjiya Napaltjarri, Yuyuya Nampitjinpa, @ Gallery Gabrielle 
Pizzi, Melbourne. 

2009 - Community ? the heart of Papunya Tula artists, featuring the work of Patrick Tjungurrayi, Debra 
Nakamarra, Makinti Napanangka, Pantjiya Nungurrayi, Nanyuma Napangati, Lorraine Nakamarra, Yuyuya 
Nampitjinpa, Narrabri Nakamarra, Sam Tjapangati, Yalti Napangati, Caroline Nakamarra, Tjunkiya Napaltjarri, 
Miriam Napanangka, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, George Tjungurrayi, Payu Napaltjarri, ]Jake Tjapaltjarri, George 
Ward Tjungurrayi, Charlie Tjapangati, Joseph Jurra Tjapaltja at Utotpia Art Sydney. 

2008 - 20 years of Papunya Tula Artists, including the artists: Rubilee Napurrula, Pantjiya Nungurrayi, 
Yinarupa Nangala, Florie Watson Napangati, Walangkura Napanangnka (Uta Uta Tjangala's widow), Ray James 
Tjangala, Jeremiah West Tjakamarra, Nyilyari Tjapangati, Yuyuya Nampitjinpa, Yukultji Napangati, Makinti 
Napanangka, Danny Gibson Tjapaltjarri, Naata Nungurrayi, Joseph Jurra Tjapaltjarri, Doreen Reid Nakamarra, 
Kim Napurrula, Patrick Tjungurrayi, Ningura Napurrula, Ronnie Tjampitjinp, at Utopia Art Sydney; Paintings 
from remote communities: Indigenous Australian art from the Laverty collection, Newcastle Regional Gallery, 
Newcastle, NSW. 

2008 - Papunya Tula Artists 2008, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne. 
2007 - Papunya Tula Artists 2007, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne. 
2006-2007 - Gifted: Contemporary Aboriginal Art: The Mollie Gowing Acquisition Fund, Art Gallery of 
	New South Wales, Sydney. 
2006 - Papunya Tula Artists - across the board, Utopia Arts Sydney, Sydney; PTA - Papunya Tula Artists, 
	Utopia Arts Sydney, Sydney. 
2005 - Papunya Tula Artists, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne; Papunya Tula Artists - new work for a 
	new space, Utopia Art Sydney. 
2004 - EXPLAINED, A closer look at Aboriginal art, Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, The Netherlands. 
2003 - Kintore Kiwirrkura, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne; Art Aborigene contemporain, Arts d'Australie, 
	Stephane Jacob / Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana, Slovenie. 
2001 - Voyage dans la matiere, Arts d'Australie o Stephane Jacob / Atelier Claude Cerf, Paris ; Salon ART 
	PARIS, Arts d'Australie o Stephane Jacob / Carrousel du Louvre, Paris. 
2000 - Arts d'Australie, Arts d'Australie o Stephane Jacob / Espace Mezzo - Avenue des Champs-Elysees, Paris; 
	Arts d'Australie, Arts d'Australie o Stephane Jacob / Renault, Paris. 
1999 - Australie - Art, Arts d'Australie o Stephane Jacob / J.L. Amsler - Bastille, Paris. 
1998 - Propositions Australiennes, Arts d'Australie o Stephane Jacob / galerie Luc Queyrel, Paris.


Select Bibliography:
Isaacs, J., Spirit Country: Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Hardie Grant Books, San 
Francisco, 1999.
 
Mellor, D. and Megaw V., Twenty Five Years and Beyond, Papunya Tula Paintings, 
exhibition catalogue, 
Flinders Art Museum, Flinders Press, Adelaide, 1999. 

Papunya Tula: Genesis and Genius, exhibition catalogue, Art Gallery of New South 
Wales, Sydney, 2000.
 
Bardon, Geoffrey; Ryan, Judith; Pizzi, Gabrielle; Stanhope, Zara., Mythology and 
Reality - 
Contemporary Aboriginal Desert Art from the Gabrielle Pizzi Collection, Heidi Museum 
of Modern Art, Melbourne, 2004. 

XXXXX XXXXXXX: Recent Paintings, exhibition catalogue, Gallery Gabrielle 
Pizzi, 2003. 

Bahr, Elizabeth. The Unseen in Scene, exhibition catalogue, Aboriginal Art Galerie 
Bahr, Speyer, Germany, 2000. 

Dreamscapes-Contemporary Desert Art, exhibition catalogue, Mostings Hus,
 Frederiksberg, Denmark, 2001. 

Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Aboriginal Art 2002, exhibition catalogue, Melbourne, 2002.

Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Aboriginal Art 2003, exhibition catalogue, Melbourne, 2003.

Scott Livesey Art Dealer, Masterpieces From The Western Desert, exhibition catalogue,
London, 2003


© Discovery Media, Documentation Pty Ltd, and the Australian 
Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

Notes:
Ray was amongst the last nomadic people to wander in from the desert with his parents. 
He had not encountered a white person until the age of about six when his small group 
of kinsmen met for the first time, Jeremy Long, who was employed by the Welfare Branch 
of the Northern Territory Administration.

Douglas Lockwood also accompanied this patrol of the Pintupi area in the Western Desert 
of Central Australia and went on to write a book called 'The Lizard Eaters' 1964. 
This book describes the story surrounding the emergence of the people from the desert 
and has many photos included.

Ray has emerged as an extremely talented artist and his works are in high demand.