Tommy Watson | 'My Country, 2015' | 146x236cm

Yannima Tommy Watson was a distinguished Pitjantjatjara artist born around 1935 near Irrunytju in Western Australia's Gibson Desert. Orphaned young, he learned traditional hunting and gathering practices while developing profound understanding of his ancestral lands. After decades working as a stockman and laborer, Watson began painting at Irrunytju art centre in 2001 at age sixty-six. His vibrant compositions featuring energetic layers of colored dots quickly gained international recognition. In 2006, his work was permanently installed at Paris's Musée du quai Branly. Watson passed away in 2017.

Code: DDTW1504 

Artist: Tommy Watson

Area: Irrunytju

Community: Pitjantjatjara

Title: My Country

Medium: Acrylic on Linen

Size: 146x236cm

Year: 2015

Framing: Stretched

Provenance: Certificate of Authenticity | Working Photos

Yannima Pikarli Tommy Watson was a senior Pitjantjatjara man and one of Australia’s most celebrated Aboriginal artists. Born near Anamarapiti, close to Irrunytju (Wingellina) in remote Western Australia, he was raised in a traditional, seminomadic lifestyle. Orphaned at a young age, he was adopted by Nicodemus Watson, and continued learning sacred culturallaw and survival knowledge.

Full Artist Bio