ZACIUS JACK TJAKAMARRA - WILKINKARRA (LAKE MACKAY)

ZACIUS JACK TJAKAMARRA
WILKINKARRA (LAKE MACKAY), 2008
acrylic on linen
135 x 70 cm
 
PROVENANCE
Ikuntji Art Centre, NT Cat No. IK08ZJ220 
Private Collection, WA 
Art Leven, NSW
 
STORY
Zacius was born near Papunya in 1970. He is the youngest son of Ikuntji Artists’ founding member Eunice Napanangka Jack and Gideon Tjupurrula Jack. Eunice was born in Lupul in the Sir Frederick Ranges, and travelled to Haasts Bluff with her parents as a child during ration days. Gideon was born in Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay) at Pinarri and also came into Haasts Bluff in the 1940’s.

Zacius says, “Father walked from lake (Mackay) to Hermannsburg long time ago, he was a stockman. From there, he went to Papunya".

Both Eunice and Gideon began painting at Ikuntji Womens Centre (now Ikuntji Artists) since its opening in 1992. Zacius moved to Haasts Bluff as a young child with his family. He went to school in Haasts Bluff and then to Yirrara College in Alice Springs. Zacius was married in 1986 and has three children, Marilyn, Marlene and Lynette. Zacius says that all three of his children paint occasionally. Zacius lives primariy in Tjukurrla but returns to Haasts Bluff to spend time with his family and to paint.As an emerging young male Ikuntji artist Zacius began paining his Father's country of Wilkinkarra in mid-2008. He paints Wilkinkarra – Lake Mackay, the country and Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) of his father and grandfather. Zacius employs traditionally simple and effective style in his work, having attracted attention from visitors and commercial galleries alike. In this work he simply and elegantly depicts the lake as his late Father did during his years painting at Hassts Bluff and Kintore. The circles represent the waterholes dotted around the 4,000 square km area of the lake while the lines that join them represent the tracks between each waterhole. Zacius has featured in a number of exhibitions and is represented in galleries in Australia and France.