About Long Tom Tjapanangka
Born circa 1930 at Lupul in the Frederick Ranges on the Northern Territory/Western Australian border, he travelled on foot to Haasts Bluff as a young man.
He has been ‘all over’, working as a stockman, policeman, labourer and painter from Queensland to Melbourne, moving from ration depots and cattle stations to rock holes and along desert trails.
He was the overall winner of the 16th Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, held at the Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory in Darwin in September 1999.
Over the past couple of years Mitjili Napurrula, his second wife, has assisted him in the final stages of his paintings, laying down the ‘background’ colour on top to his instructions. He is encouraging and appreciative of her input, as it signifies his status and relieves him from having to work when his eyes begin to trouble him.