About Nyilari Tjapangati
Nyilyari is the son of Pinta Pinta Tjapanangka. He was named after his grandfather. He lives at Kintore and used to help prime canvases for Papunya Tula and now paints for them. Nyilari Tjapangati was born c. 1965. Nyilari has been painting for Papunya Tula Pty Ltd since the late 1990s.
His paintings depict designs associated with the salt lake site of Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay). In ancestral times a large group of Tingari men visited this site on their travels towards the east. The men had previously visited the rockhole site of Winparku (Mt Webb) further south. The concentric squares in this painting depict the soakage waters near Winparku, while the jagged lines represent the path of the Tingari men as they travelled towards Wilkinkarra. This design is also consistent with those used during rain making ceremonies. Since events associated with the Tingari Cycle are of a secret nature no further detail was given.
Generally, the Tingari are a group of mythical characters of the Dreaming who travelled over vast stretches of the country, performing rituals and creating and shaping particular sites. The Tingari men were usually followed by Tingari women and accompanied by novices and their travels and adventures are enshrined in a number of song cycles. These mythologies form part of the teachings of the post initiatory youths today as well as providing explanations for contemporary customs.