Yannima Tommy Watson

Yannima Tommy Watson is a Pitjantjatjara man who in 2001 was one of the founding artists of the Irrunytju Art Centre. He paints the Dreamtime stories of his 'country' inherited from his family. As an elder he travels widely across Pitjantjatjara lands to fulfill his obligations. His painting might be described in abstract expressionist terms as exploiting a virtual 'geography of sensation'. The colours and abstract shapes are stunningly beautiful. It is therefore no wonder that he was commissioned in 2005 to create a work for installation in the Musee du quai Branly, Paris. When the museum opened in 2006, his painting was seen to be enlarged and reproduced on stainless steel tiles adorning a ceiling within the building.