Elton is the son of reputed Herrmansburg School artists Doris Abbott and Kevin Wirri. At a young age Elton came to the art centre with his parents and showed a keen interest in painting watercolours like his father. He immediately displayed a great talent and with some instruction from his father he began painting skilled watercolours from the age of fifteen. He was so keen to paint that if he had no paperboard in front of him he would paint on bits of scrap paper or the table top! As well as pursuing his interest in watercolours Elton has also developed his skills in synthetic polymer paint painting and has produced a number of works in this medium including portraits combined with landscape. His interests also extend to theatre and he performed in a sellout production of the play ‘Ngapartji Ngapartji’ at the Melbourne International Arts Festival in October 2005. The play completed a sellout week in Melbourne 2006 and at the Sydney Opera House. Elton also performed recently in the award winning play ‘Namatjira’ which toured around the country between 2010 and 2012. Exhibitions:
• 2004 Desert Mob, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT
• 2004 Advocate Central Australian Art Award, Alice Springs, NT
• 2005 Desert Mob, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT
• 2006 Hermannsburg School of Art – Watercolour Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT
• 2006 Desert Mob, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT
• 2006 Hermannsburg School of Art Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT
• 2007 Solo Exhibition, Birrung Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2007 Desert Mob, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT
• 2008 The Namatjira circle-landscapes of Central Australia, Birrung Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2008 Desert Mob, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT
• 2008 Togart Contemporary Art Awards, Darwin and Alice Springs, NT
• 2008 CCAE, A New Beginning Exhibition, Darwin, NT
• 2008 ‘The Legacy of Albert Namatjira Today’ Soma Galleries, Adelaide, SA
• 2009 Real to Surreal, Scenes from the Centre: Journey with the New Generation of Hermannsburg Watercolour Artists, Tandanya, Adelaide, SA
• 2009 Beyond Batterby, Recent Watercolour by Central Australian Artists, Hobart, TAS
• 2009 The Watercolourists of Central Australia, Indigenart, Melbourne, VIC
• 2009 Solo Exhibition, Birrung World Vision Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2009 Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Art Centre, Alice Springs, NT
• 2009 30 under 30 Exhibition, Indigenart, Melbourne, VIC
• 2009 Wirri Mob Watercolours – Recent paintings by Central Australian Aboriginal Artists Kevin & Elton Wirri
• 2010 Telstra Art Award Finalist
• 2010 Araluen Watching This Place
• 2011 Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
• 2011 Chapman Gallery, Canberra, ACT
• 2012 Damian Minton Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2012 The Lockup, Newcastle, NSW
• 2012 Regional Art Gallery, Burnie, TAS
• 2012 Art Mob, Launceston, TAS
• 2012 Art Mob, Hobart, TAS
• 2012 Frankston Arts Centre, Frankston, VIC
• 2012 Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide, SA
• 2012 Talapi Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
• 2012 Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, NT
• 2013 The Namatjira Legacy, Tali Gallery, Sydney, NSW
• 2014 Namatjira to Now, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT Publications:
• 2004 Article in the Alice Springs News; April 16th
• 2004 Article in the Sydney morning herald
• 2006 Painting chosen for reproduction in the 2005 Jukurrpa Diary
