Tommy Watson

Tommy Watson is a Senior Pitjantjatjara painter who was born at Anamarapita, Western Australia. He began working as a stockman and labourer before coming to try painting in his 60’s.

In 2001, Tommy was one of the founding artists of the Irrunytju art centre. It was here in a corrugated iron shed that Tommy was taught to paint first in western style until he gained his confidence with colour and texture. Today his work is highly collectable and due to his carefully managed painting output he also highly sought after. Since 2006 his work has been displayed at the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris, France along with Ningura Napurrula, Lena Nyadbi, Michael Riley, Judy Watson, John Mawurndjul, Paddy Bedford and Gulumbu Yunupingu.

His vibrant colours and thick textured application of paints are used to reflect the landscape and land formations associated with the sacred stories of his Mother and Grandfather. He is now one of Australia’s better known artists with increasingly high prices achieved in the secondary art market.