Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri,
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Artist Profile · Central Desert
Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri
Anmatyerre master of the Papunya movement, whose Warlugulong became one of Australia’s most famous paintings.
Lived
c. 1932 – 2002
Language group
Anmatyerre
Born
Napperby Station, NT
Country
Around Alherramp (Laramba), NT
Early life and family
Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri was born around 1932 on Napperby Station in the Northern Territory, and his Country lay around Alherramp (Laramba). His father was Tjatjiti Tjungurrayi and his mother Long Rose Nangala.
Painting ran deep in his family. His brother, Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri, was also a founding Papunya painter, and his older brother Cassidy Possum Tjapaltjarri was a respected elder. His daughters, Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi and Michelle Possum Nungurrayi, are acclaimed artists in their own right.
Long before he picked up a brush, Clifford was known as an expert woodcarver.
Leader of the Papunya movement
In early 1972 Clifford joined the men painting at Papunya, where the teacher Geoffrey Bardon was encouraging them to put their Dreaming stories onto board and canvas. He quickly became one of the leaders of what grew into Papunya Tula Artists and the Western Desert art movement.
His great achievement was the large “map” painting, bringing many Dreaming stories and sites together on one canvas. The most famous, Warlugulong (1977), was first bought by the Commonwealth Bank for $1,200. In 2007 it sold at Sotheby’s for $2.4 million to the National Gallery of Australia, then a record for Aboriginal art.
He passed on his knowledge widely: younger painters such as Damien Marks learned from him at Papunya.
Map paintings
Papunya Tula
Dot and circle
Woodcarving
Highlights
- 1990 – First international solo exhibition, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
- 2002 – Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO); he died on 21 June 2002, the day he was to be invested
- 2004 – Retrospective, Art Gallery of New South Wales
- 2007 – Warlugulong acquired by the National Gallery of Australia for $2.4 million
- Collections include the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Kelton Foundation and the Royal Collection
Related artists
Clifford’s daughters Gabriella Possum Nungurrayi and Michelle Possum Nungurrayi carry on his legacy, as does his half-brother Johnny Possum Tjapaltjarri. See also Damien & Yilpi Marks.
Buying Clifford’s work
Clifford’s paintings are among the most valuable, and most forged, in Aboriginal art. Buy only through an established auction house or a recognised gallery with full, documented provenance, ideally tracing back to Papunya Tula Artists.
Paintings by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri on eBay
We may earn a commission from eBay listings on this page. Be especially careful with works attributed to Clifford Possum: check the provenance and certificate of authenticity before you buy.
