Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri b. c.1932

Also known as Clifford Possum
  • Artist (Painter),
  • Artist (Carver)
Leading Papunya Tula artist. One of last men to join Geoffrey Bardon's group of 'painting men' at the beginning of the 1970s and the first to be recognised as an artist in his own right. His illustrious career has been the subject of several books and a major retrospective organised by the Art Gallery of South Australia, which toured nationally in 2003/5
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Born c. 1932 at Napperby Station. Language/tribe Anmatyerre. His father was born at the site of Ngarlu (Ngwerritye Alatiye) west of Mt Allan. His mother came from Warlugulong, south west of Yuendumu. The name Possum was given to Clifford by his paternal grandfather. Clifford received no formal education, growing up “in the bush” and then at Jay Creek during the late 1940s. He did stockwork at various stations across the Centre including Hamilton Downs, Glen Helen, Mt Wedge, Mt Allan and Napperby. One of last men to join Geoffrey Bardon’s group of 'painting men’ at the beginning of the 1970s – with the encouragement of his brother Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri.

Clifford Possum was already a woodcarver of reknown, and had been employed at Papunya School teaching woodcarving to the children and was Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists during the early 1980s. During the ’70s and ’80s, he and his family lived at Papunya, Napperby Station, M’bunghara outstation near Glen Helen, and then Alice Springs. Subsequently, Clifford divided his time between Alice Springs amd the homes of his daughters Gabrielle Possum and Michelle Possum (who are both painters) in Melbourne, Adelaide and Kempsey on the NSW Central Coast. He also travelled widely in Australia and to Europe and North America.

Clifford Possum’s country was around Mt Wedge (Kerrinyarra), Napperby station (Tjuirri) and Mt Allan and his vast repertoire of Dreaming stories included Possum, Fire, Water, Kangaroo, Fish, Snake, Man’s Love Story, Lightning, Mala, Goanna etc. He died in Alice Springs on June 21 2002, the day he was to have been awarded his AO.

Writers:
Johnson, Vivien
Date written:
1994
Last updated:
2011

Difference between this version and previous

Field This Version Previous Version
Copyright agents
  • Estate of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri c/- Office of the Public Trustee of the Northern Territory
  • Estate of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri c/- Office of the Public Trustee of the Northern Territory
Is featured True
Alternative names
  • Clifford Possum
  • Clifford Possum
Related people
  • Leura, Tim Tjapaltjarri (sibling of)
  • Possum, Gabrielle Nungurrayi (parent of)
  • Possum, Michelle Nungurrayi (parent of)
  • Leura, Tim Tjapaltjarri (associate of)
  • Bardon, Geoffrey (associate of)
  • Possum, Lionel (parent of)
  • Leura, Tim Tjapaltjarri (sibling of)
  • Possum, Gabrielle Nungurrayi (parent of)
  • Possum, Michelle Nungurrayi (parent of)
  • Leura, Tim Tjapaltjarri (associate of)
  • Bardon, Geoffrey (associate of)
  • Possum, Lionel (parent of)
Related person groups
  • Papunya Tula Artists (associate of)
  • Papunya Tula Artists (associate of)
Related works
  • Men's Ceremony (creator of)
  • Napperby Lakes (creator of)
  • Eagle and Bower-bird Dreaming (Ceremony) (creator of)
  • Lightning Dreaming (creator of)
  • Man's Love Story (creator of)
  • Yuelamu honey ant dreaming (creator of)
  • Warlugulong (creator of)
  • Men's Ceremony (creator of)
  • Napperby Lakes (creator of)
  • Eagle and Bower-bird Dreaming (Ceremony) (creator of)
  • Lightning Dreaming (creator of)
  • Man's Love Story (creator of)
  • Yuelamu honey ant dreaming (creator of)
  • Warlugulong (creator of)
Related collections
  • Broken Hill Art Gallery, Broken Hill, NSW (collected in)
  • Araluen Centre, Alice Springs, NT (collected in)
  • South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA (collected in)
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (collected in)
  • University of WA Anthropology Museum, Perth, WA (collected in)
  • Pacific Asia Museum, Los Angeles, USA (collected in)
  • Parliament House, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • Victorian Centre for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, NSW (collected in)
  • Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide, SA (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic. (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • Broken Hill Art Gallery, Broken Hill, NSW (collected in)
  • Araluen Centre, Alice Springs, NT (collected in)
  • South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA (collected in)
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (collected in)
  • University of WA Anthropology Museum, Perth, WA (collected in)
  • Pacific Asia Museum, Los Angeles, USA (collected in)
  • Parliament House, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • Victorian Centre for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, NSW (collected in)
  • Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide, SA (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic. (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
Related recognitions
  • Officer of the Order of Australia (received)
  • 2 large commissions, for the new Strehlow Research Foundation Alice Springs and the new Alice Springs Airport (received)
  • Visited USA - St Louis, New York (received)
  • Mural design Araluen Arts Centre Alice Springs (received)
  • Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists during early 1980s (received)
  • Alice Springs Art Prize (received)
  • Officer of the Order of Australia (received)
  • 2 large commissions, for the new Strehlow Research Foundation Alice Springs and the new Alice Springs Airport (received)
  • Visited USA - St Louis, New York (received)
  • Mural design Araluen Arts Centre Alice Springs (received)
  • Chairman of Papunya Tula Artists during early 1980s (received)
  • Alice Springs Art Prize (received)
Related events
  • Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (exhibited at)
  • Songlines IV: Clifford Possum and the Papunya Tula Artists (exhibited at)
  • Time before time: Aboriginal art of Australia (exhibited at)
  • Dreamings : The Art of Aboriginal Australia (exhibited at)
  • Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri Paintings : 1973-86 (exhibited at)
  • Aboriginal art from the Central Desert and Northern Arnhem Land, featuring the work of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and members of his family (exhibited at)
  • Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Uta Uta Tjangala and Paddy Carroll Tjungurrayi (exhibited at)
  • Sao Paulo Biennale (exhibited at)
  • The Past and Present of the Australian Aborigine (exhibited at)
  • Australian Perspecta (None)
  • Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (exhibited at)
  • Songlines IV: Clifford Possum and the Papunya Tula Artists (exhibited at)
  • Time before time: Aboriginal art of Australia (exhibited at)
  • Dreamings : The Art of Aboriginal Australia (exhibited at)
  • Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri Paintings : 1973-86 (exhibited at)
  • Aboriginal art from the Central Desert and Northern Arnhem Land, featuring the work of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and members of his family (exhibited at)
  • Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Uta Uta Tjangala and Paddy Carroll Tjungurrayi (exhibited at)
  • Sao Paulo Biennale (exhibited at)
  • The Past and Present of the Australian Aborigine (exhibited at)
  • Australian Perspecta (None)
Field Changes
Biography
Indigenous notes