Papunya Tjupi Arts

Papunya Tjupi Arts is an Aboriginal-owned community arts organisation based in Papunya, the birthplace of the Western Desert dot painting movement. Its artists have established their unique identity based on the legacy of their forefathers. The art centre supports emerging artists and some of Australia’s leading contemporary painters, who exhibit nationally and internationally and feature in major public and private collections.

Papunya Tjupi was established in 2007, after many famous pioneer painters left Papunya during the homelands movement from the late 1970s. It consists of 150 artists from Papunya and surrounding outstations, who are renowned for their strong line-work and for developing new ways to tell the old stories. Central to Papunya Tjupi is the understanding that painting is an important part of culture and connection to Country and that passing on knowledge keeps the community’s future strong.

Papunya Tjupi Arts supports emerging artists and some of Australia’s leading contemporary painters around Papunya, the birthplace of the Western Desert dot painting movement.