Ray James Tjangala

My Country  |  90h x 145w  |  RK672

Not framed or stretched  |  Acrylic on canvas

Ray James Tjangala (b. 1958) is the son of Anatjari Tjampitjinpa, one of the early painters of the Papunya Tula movement. His brothers, George Yapa Yapa and Mantua, are also professional artists. 

With his father's instruction, Ray first tried painting in 1987. However, it was not until the mid 1990s that he emerged as one of the core group of second-generation artists at Kiwirrkurra. He quickly caught the public’s attention with the powerful and cyclic nature of his works that usually contain interlocking grid patterns signifying important ceremonial activities. Largely influenced by his mentor, much of his works depict the ceremonial activities done to the coming of age of young men. Usually, his paintings are presented in two colour schemes that greatly harmonize with the way he explores the possibilities of optical lines and curves on the canvas.

Ray has appeared in numerous group exhibitions and has work is held in the collections of the Flinders University Art Museum, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Aboriginal Art Museum in the Netherlands.