Emu Dreaming Story - Willy Tjapanangka

Willie Tjapanangka was born circa 1938 and was a Pintupi man of the Western Desert. Son of Rartji Tjapangati and Mitjikali Nampitjinpa, and brother to Pirrmangku Napanangka, he arrived at Haasts Bluff in 1956 and in 1958, he married Tatali Napurrula and they had four sons. Tjapanangka began painting for Papunya Tula Artists in 1977.

In this work, Tjapanangka maps the journey of ancestral Emus across Country, using reverse arrow motifs depicting Emu tracks, guiding the view between concentric circles, which signify important ceremonial or geographical sites. The irregular background dotting suggests the presence of bush fruits, consumed by the Emus and marking the fertility of the land.

© WILLIE TJAPANANGKA / Copyright Agency, 2025