Papunya Tjupi Arts is a 100% Aboriginal owned and directed community arts organisation based in Papunya, the birthplace of the Western Desert painting movement.
The artists of Papunya Tjupi have established their own unique identity based on the legacy of their forefathers. The art centre, located approximately 245 km north-west of Mparntwe / Alice Springs, supports emerging artists and some of Australia’s leading contemporary painters.
Papunya Tjupi Arts was established in 2007, and currently consists of 150 artists from Papunya and surrounding outstations, who are renowned for their strong line-work and for continuously developing new ways to tell the old stories. In 2018–19 Papunya Tjupi constructed a dedicated men’s studio, which has encouraged the participation of young men from the community. Central to Papunya Tjupi is the understanding that painting is an important part of culture and connection to country, and that the teaching and passing on of knowledge is what keeps the community’s future strong.
