Tingari Cycle (2006) by Barney Campbell Tjakamarra 91x41cm Cat 9545BC

Barney Campbell Tjakamarra, a senior law man and revered elder, is an internationally renowned artist from the Ngaanyatjarra and Pintupi language groups, born circa 1928. One of the primary subjects in Tjakamarra’s paintings is the Tingari Cycle.

In "Tingari Cycle (2006)," Tjakamarra depicts the sites where young boys underwent initiation ceremonies, known as Malliera. These ceremonies are part of the sacred and secret rituals of the Tingari Cycle, performed by Tingari men during the Dreaming creation era. These men traveled vast distances, creating and shaping important sites, accompanied by novices and followed by Tingari women. Their journeys and adventures are immortalized in song cycles, which are crucial for the teachings of post-initiatory youths and contemporary customs.