Yannima Tommy Watson (1935 - 2017), known as Tommy

Watson, was an Indigenous Australian artist, of the

Pitjantjatjara people from Australia's central western

desert. He was described by one critic as "the greatest

living painter of the Western Desert“.

In 2001, Tommy became one of the first indigenous men

to begin painting at the Irrunytju art centre. His work, rich

in the knowledge of the topographical landforms of his

country and the Tjukurrpa law that underlies it,

immediately captured attention.

He painted the stories of his mother’s and grandfather’s

country. From the start, he painted intuitively, using large

vibrant colourful dots of pinks, burgundy, orange and reds

to symbolically represent the dreamtime journeys of the

ancient spirits and the significant episodes in the history

of his tribe.