36-26 – Waringarri & Luurnpa Drawing Series – JIMMY TCHOOGA

Artist : JIMMY TCHOOGA
Title : Waringarri & Luurnpa Drawing Series
Size/Medium : 780 x 550 Oil Pastel on Paper Work on paper

This drawing depicts a man straightening spears to go hunting. Part of the process of kangaroo Dreaming. These drawings by senior lawman Jimmy Tchooga are part of an ongoing ceremonial narrative passed down to him by elders before they passed away. They depict the Waringarri songline and the journey of Luurnpa (Kingfisher), a powerful creation ancestor whose story connects key sites across the desert – from Birrundudu to Balgo.

Jimmy’s work resonates with the historic 1940s Birrundudu Drawings, created by Warlpiri and Gurindji men and held unseen for decades. Although few contemporary artists ever saw these early works, Jimmy’s connection to their ceremonial content is living and direct.

Through his drawings, Jimmy maps ancestral events across time, Country and memory – blending past teachings with his own lived authority. This is a songline kept alive through art, ceremony and teaching – one Jimmy has shared with generations of desert kids, ensuring culture endures through every painted body, every dance step, and every line drawn.

Dimensions: 780 x 550 Oil Pastel on Paper