China Heights Gallery, courtesy of Papunya Tjupi Arts, is pleased to present an exhibition of new works by Keanu Nelson Tjakamarra. Keanu grew up in Papunya community and began painting in 2019 as part of the art centre's Men's Art and Cultural Revival movement. He comes from a strong artistic family. His grandparents are the renowned Michael Nelson Jagamarra and Liimpi Tjampitjimpa, and his work reflects a deep engagement with the stories and techniques passed down through generations.
For this exhibition, Keanu paints stories that belong to his family line. The Yalka Tjukurrpa (Bush Onion Dreaming) comes from a powerful site near Tjunkupu, where two complex songlines meet and travel through Winparku and Papunya. In some paintings, four women look into a large opening in the earth where underground waters converge to form a central soakage, a place Keanu describes as "too powerfull, too dangerous." The Wanampi (snake) also appears throughout, serving as a warning near certain waterholes and often painted alongside a Kulata (spear). His Malu and Wanampi paintings follow the travels of kangaroo and snake through waterways, telling stories shared during ceremony that teach about hunting, water sources, and places that demand respect.
Papunya Tjupi Arts is a 100% Aboriginal owned and directed community art centre based in Papunya, birthplace of the Western Desert painting movement. Located 250 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs, the centre supports both emerging and leading contemporary painters. The artists of Papunya Tjupi carry forward the legacy of their forefathers while building their own identity, and Keanu Nelson Tjakamarra continues this tradition, bringing fresh energy to the stories he has inherited.