Irriṯitja Kuwarri Tjungu

Simon Tjakamarra. c. 1948–1990, Pintupi. 'Tingarri Camp at Pilintjinya,' 1988. Synthetic polymer paint on canvas. 71 1/2 × 47 3/4 in. (182 × 121 cm). Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia. Gift of John W. Kluge, 1997.

In 1971, the world was introduced to an art movement that was both new and old. In the settlement of Papunya in the Australian Desert, Aboriginal artists from communities across the Western Desert drew upon Indigenous mark-making traditions to create artworks in new media. Over the next 50 years, the Papunya Tula Artists became a global phenomenon that took the world by storm.

In Irrititja Kuwarri Tjungu, presented in partnership with Papunya Tula Artists and organized by the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, you will witness five decades of artworks that bring "past and present together" in an stunning array of color and memory. The exhibition will be on display here at the BYU Museum of Art from July 18 to December 6, 2025.