Adrian Jangala Robertson

Adrian Jangala Robertson (b. 1962) is a Warlpiri artist born at Papunya and based in Alice Springs. A senior figure at the Mwerre Anthurre Artists Studio at Bindi Inc, a supported studio for artists living with disability, Robertson is known for his emotive portrayals of family, community, and the desert landscape. With an expressive and spontaneous painting style, he has been called 'the Van Gogh of the Central Desert'. His work draws on the country of his mother, renowned artist Eunice Napangardi, whose Dreaming sites at Yalpirakinu continue to inform his creative practice. Robertson has achieved national acclaim, becoming the first First Nations artist to be a finalist in the Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes in the same year, alongside earlier wins at the Telstra NATSIAA and Alice Prize. His work reflects both deep cultural connection and a unique contemporary voice, celebrated across Australia. Adrian Jangala Robertson is an artist with Bindi Mwerre Anthurre, a supported art studio in Alice Springs for First Nations artists living with disabilities. Through painting, Robertson expresses himself with emotive, freely worked depictions of family, friends, and the dramatic landscapes of Central Australia, earning him the nickname "the Van Gogh of the Central Desert.” Robertson's father, Jampitjinpa’s country stretches from west of Walungurru, through Karku at Nyirrpi, to Warlurkurlangu at Yuendumu. He lived at Mount Doreen near Yuendumu and later worked at Papunya as a gardener and builder. Jampitjinpa was the brother of the late Darby Ross Jampitjinpa. Adrian Robertson's mother, the late Eunice Napangardi, was also a renowned painter. It is her country, Yalpirakinu, that Adrian depicts in his paintings. Born in 1962 at Papunya, Robertson grew up among the pioneers of the Desert Painting movement. This movement, which began in 1971, was initiated by a group of senior men from Papunya, encouraged by school art teacher Geoffrey Bardon, as they translated traditional motifs into permanent and portable forms on board. Robertson has received numerous prestigious awards including a triple-nomination for the prestigious Wynne, Archibald and Sulman prizes earlier this year, an unprecedented achievement for an First Nations artist. His previous accolades include the Telstra Painting Award in 2020 and the coveted Alice Prize in 2022.

2024 – Finalist, Sulman Prize, Archibald Prize and Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
2022 – Winner, 42nd Alice Prize, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
2021 – Winner, Artist of the Year, Mparntwe NAIDOC, Alice Springs, NT
2021 – Finalist, Vincent Lingiari Art Award: Ngawa, Ngapa, Kapi, Kwatja, Water
2021 – Finalist, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (Telstra NATSIAA), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2020 – Winner, General Painting Award, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (Telstra NATSIAA), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2018 – Finalist, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (Telstra NATSIAA), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT
2004 – Finalist, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (Telstra NATSIAA), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2024 - Ngaju Nyangu Warlalja, Ngaju Nyangu Ngurra (My Family, My Country), Redot Gallery, Singapore
2024 - Adrian Jangala Robertson: Yalpirakinu, Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery, London, UK
2021 - Yalpirakinu: Mother’s Country, RAFT Artspace, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2021 - Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia - Finalists’ Exhibition
2018 - Paint Country, RAFT Artspace, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2011 - Adrian Robertson Landscapes, Merenda Gallery, Fremantle, WA, Australia
2010 - Adrian Robertson: First Solo Exhibition, RAFT Artspace, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2010 - RAFT Artspace, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2006 - Adrian Robertson Jangala, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

2024 - Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia - Finalists’ Exhibition
2024 - Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia - Finalists’ Exhibition
2024 - Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia - Finalists’ Exhibition
2024 - Alice Prize, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia - Finalists’ Exhibition
2023 - Desert Mob, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2023 - Telling Stories, Talapi, NT, Australia
2023 - Good Strong Powerful, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
2023 - Beautiful Art, Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
2022 - Alice Prize, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia - Finalists’ Exhibition
2021 - Desert Mob 30, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2020 - Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia - Finalists’ Exhibition
2019 - Desert Mob, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2018 - Desert Mob, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2018 - 35th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
2014 - Bindi Inc: Cars, Cowboys and Cockatoos - New Works from the Artist Collective Mwerre Anthurre, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2013 - Desert Mob, Araluen Cultural Precinct, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2013 - Telling Stories, Talapi, NT, Australia
2013 - Good Strong Powerful, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
2013 - Beautiful Art, Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
2012 - Desert Mob, Araluen Cultural Precinct, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2012 - Bindi Magic: Contemporary Arts and Disability in Central Australia, Bindi Inc., Alice Springs, NT, Australia
2012 - Mwerre Anthurre Artists, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
2011 - Good Strong Powerful, Arts Project Australia, Northcote, VIC, Australia
2011 - Bindi Artists, Indigenart, Perth, WA, Australia
2011 - Bindi 2011, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
2010 - A View on Country, Mossenson Galleries, Perth, WA, Australia
2008 - Landscape Masters, Alcaston Gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2008 - Bindi Exhibition, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
2006 - Billy Kenda, Kukula McDonald, Adrian Robertson and Billy Benn Perrurle, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
2006 - Togart Contemporary Art Exhibition, Parliament House, Darwin, NT, Australia
2005 - Recent Works by Artists from Mwerre Anthurre, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
2004 - Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia

Artbank, Sydney, NSW
Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
Private Collections, Australia

Adrian Jangala Robertson’s market has risen in recent years, driven by major institutional recognition and increasing visibility in national prize exhibitions. His expressive style and cultural grounding have attracted collectors of both contemporary and Aboriginal art. Key awards—including the 2022 Alice Prize and 2020 Telstra NATSIAA—have further cemented his reputation. While his secondary market presence is still developing, his growing institutional profile and critical acclaim position him as one of the most compelling Central Desert artists of his generation.

https://bindiart.com.au/artist/adrian-robertson/