Tingari Cycle (2005) by Barney Campbell Tjakamarra 130x41cm Cat 9047BC

Barney Campbell Tjakamarra, born circa 1930 at Kaylilwarra near Warburton in the Gibson Desert of Western Australia, was of the Ngaanyatjarra language group. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by relatives, his second mother and father. His uncle later took him to Papunya, where he underwent his initiation into manhood.

Tjakamarra's paintings feature a maze of sinuous lines, reminiscent of ceremonial body designs and traditional ground drawings. The Tingari Cycle is a prominent subject in his work. The Tingari were a group of men from the Dreaming creation era who traveled vast distances, performing rituals, and shaping significant sites. Accompanied by novices and usually followed by Tingari women, their journeys and adventures are immortalized in song cycles.

These stories are crucial for the teachings of post-initiatory youths and provide explanations for contemporary customs. Due to the secret and sacred nature of the Tingari Cycle, few details are disclosed about these events.