Rosie Napurrurla Tasman

Rosie was born at Pawarla, north of the Granites area in the Tanami Desert. She has ancestral rights over the wampana (wallaby), janganpa (possum), ngurlu (seed) and kulukuku (bush pigeon) Dreamings, which were passed from her father, Wayipurlungu.

Tasman’s traditional country, Miya Miya and Pawarla and the Dreamings associated with these particular sites, provide the inspiration and imagery for her distinctive paintings. She says that painting provides her with a ‘happy way’ in which to make her culture strong.

Rosie Napurrurla Tasman was first introduced to the medium of acrylic paint in 1986 when the first works from Lajamanu were created for a public audience. Since then, painting has played a fundamental role in the ritual and ceremonial life of her family. Both of her siblings, Teddy Japurrurla Morrison and Molly Napurrurla Tasman are establised artists in the Lajamanu community, and her daughter Denise Napangardi Robertson is one of the younger generation of Warlpiri artists.

Tasman’s work alternates between intricate dotted circular motifs and bold gestural brush strokes. Her palette oscillates from traditional ochre colours to a freer application of bright yellows, reds and blues. In her janganpa (possum) Dreaming, she employs a technique of a white monochrome background to enhance the kuruwarri (ancestral designs) of the janganpa ancestor and his travels across the country. Her ngurlu (seed) Dreamings employ a technique where the iconography of the seed is mirrored in a background circular pattern of dots. This reinforces the essential elements of the seed Dreaming.
Subject & Themes
Seed, kalajirri
Collections
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Donald Kahn Collection, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami.
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth.
Unwin Collection, Adelaide Museum and Art Gallery of the NT, Darwin NT
Group Exhibitions
1986 People, Place, Art, Hilton International Hotel, Adelaide, SA.
1987 Lajamanu Community Exhibition, Warlpiri Art from the North Tanami, Lajamanu, NT.
1989 A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art, Westpac Gallery, Melbourne, Vic.
1989 Design Warehouse Sydney, NSW [through Lauraine Diggins Fine Art]
1990 Paint Up Big: Warlpiri Women’s Art of Lajamanu, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic.
1990 Lajamanu Dreamings, Technical and Further Education College, Darwin, NT.
1991 Ngurra Mala, les lieux du Reve, Ecole des beaux-arts, Grenoble, France.
1991 Lajamanu Dreamings 2, Technical and Further Education College,Darwin, NT.
1991 Aboriginal Art, Australian Embassy, Washington, USA.
1991 Peintures du desert australien, Douarnenez, France.
1991 Yapa, Peintres Aborigenes de Balgo et Lajamanu, Baudoin Lebon Gallery, Paris.
1991 Lajamanu Warlpiri Artists from Warnayaka, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art, Sydney, NSW.
1992 Maintaining the Dreaming, University of Wollongong Long Gallery in Association with Coo-ee Aboriginal Art.
1993 The Tenth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT.
1994 Yapakurlangu Wirrkardu, Batchelor College, Tennant Creek, NT.
1996 The Rainbow Serpent, Vaucluse, NSW.
1996 Galerie Kouwanhoven, DELFT, The Netherlands.
1997 Indigenart, Perth, WA.
1997 Batchelor College, Darwin, NT.
1997 Gallery Artis, Boschveld 471, De Bosch, The Netherlands.
1997 Innenseite Projektgruppe Stofwechsel, Kassel, Germany.
1997 Innenseite Projektgruppe Stofwechsel, Gottingen, Germany.
Goteborgs Konstforenong, Goteborg, Sweden.
1997 Dreamings Aboriginal Kunst uit Australie, Eusebiuskerk, Amhem, The Netherlands.
1997 BOSS WOMEN, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne, Vic.
1998 Culture Store, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
1998 Dreamings, Vlaams-Europeesch, Conterentoentrum, Brussles, Belgium.
1998 Dreamings, Spazio Pitte Arte, Florence, Italy.
1998 The Hagure Unites the Nations, Grote Kerk, The Hague, The Netherlands.
1998 Warnayaka Warlpin, Karen Brown Gallery, Darwin NT.
1998 Robert Steele Gallery, New York, USA.
2000, Lajamanu Warlpiri Artists, Yuwayi Gallery, Sydney, NSW in Association with Coo-ee Aboriginal Art.
2000 Lajamanu, Japingka Gallery, Fremanle,WA.
2001, Warlpiri Artists from Lajamanu, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA.
2001 Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA.
2001 Allison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne, Vic.
2002 New Works from Lajamanu, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art, Sydney, NSW.
Bibliography
Diggins, L. (ed.), 1989, A Myriad of Aboriginal Dreaming: Twentieth Century Art, exhib. cat., Malakoff Fine Art Press, North Caulfield, Victoria.
Glowczewski, B., 1991, Yapa, Peintres Aborigenes de Balgo et Lajamanu, Lebon Gallery, Paris
Johnson, V., 1994,The Dictionary of Western Desert Artists, Craftsman House, East Roseville, New South Wales. (C)
Ryan, J., 1990, Paint Up Big: Warlpiri Women’s Art of Lajamanu, Craftsman Press