Tingari Cycle (2006) by Barney Campbell Tjakamarra 61x61cm Cat 9496BC

Barney Campbell Tjakamarra, born circa 1928 at Kaylilwarra near Warburton in Western Australia's Gibson Desert, belonged to the Ngaanyatjarra and Pintupi language groups. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by relatives, with his uncle taking him to Papunya, where he underwent his initiation into manhood.

As a senior law man and revered elder, Tjakamarra is an internationally renowned artist. His work frequently centers on the Tingari Cycle, a significant subject in his paintings. In this particular painting, Tjakamarra depicts the sites where young boys were taken for their initiation ceremonies.

The Tingari Cycle involves secret and sacred rituals from the Dreaming creation era, performed by the Tingari men, who traveled vast distances to create and shape significant sites. Accompanied by novices and 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.