George Tuckerbox Paintings

George Tuckerbox was born in the 1950s near Naminpa country, in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. He grew up in country around Yimpurrpa, but then his family joined the exodus that saw large groups of Aboriginal people leaving the desert and travelling north. During this difficult journey, George Tuckerbox ‘s father passed away at Nampinpa, and then his mother at Tangku.

When George Tuckerbox was about 12 or 13 years old he arrived at Christmas Creek station. Already he had family there – his sister Ngamapu Napangardi, had come to collect him. The station manager sent him on to Yeeda Station, where he learned the skills of station life. George Tuckerbox then returned to Christmas Creek as a stockman. In order to travel around in those days, George Tuckerbox would either walk or ride a donkey. As a stockman, George Tuckerbox drove bullocks across the Tanami Desert, from Balgo to Alice Springs, and worked on many of the cattle stations along the way.

Today George Tuckerbox lives at Wangkatjungka Community, adjacent to Christmas Creek station. He produced his first paintings there in the 1990s. In 1987 George Tuckerbox was one of the Wangkatjungka elders who travelled from Fitzroy Crossing to Tokyo, to present the Kurtal ceremonial dance and song cycle, that was part of an art exhibition and cultural performance staged in central Tokyo. George Tuckerbox’s paintings represent the country where he grew up, the waterholes and hunting grounds belonging to his ancestors. Aboriginal art status – Established artist.

Selected Exhibitions

2003     Artists of Wangkajungka, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
2004     Paintings from Wangkatjungka, Fire-Works Gallery, Brisbane
2004     Striking Colours of the Living Desert, Walkabout Gallery, Sydney
2004     Artists of Wangkatjungka, Raintree Gallery, Darwin
2004     Tali and Jila, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle
2005     Artists of Wangkatjungka, Hogarth Gallery, Sydney
2005     Wangkatjungka Artists, Walkabout Gallery, Sydney
2005     Big Country Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs
2005     Wangkatjungka, Ladner and Fell Gallery, Melbourne
2006     Wangkatjungka – Artists of the Great Sandy Desert, ART MOB, Hobart
2007     Wangkatjungka Mapping Country, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
2007     Desert Mosaic, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
2008     Wangkatjungka Artists: Canning Stock Route, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
2013     Landmarks and Law Grounds: Men of the Desert, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA