Yannima tommy watson biography of william hill
Home / General Biography Information / Yannima tommy watson biography of william hill
His given names of Yannima and Pikarli relate to specific sites near Anumarapiti.
Watson's mother died during his infancy, and his father when he was about eight years old. That's why we look after country, go out whenever we can. He said, "I want to paint these stories so that others can learn and understand about our culture and country."
© 2025.
When they were alive, they would take me around the country, when I was a kid. Tommy Watson was a Law man of the Karima skin group, and his traditional names of Yannima and Pikarli relate to specific sites near his birthplace.
Tommy Watson’s parents and uncle died when he was young, so he was adopted by Nicodemus Watson, his father’s first cousin. Like many Westerd Desert Aboriginal people, the lives of Watson and his family were drastically affected by assimilation policies introduced by the government.
Located in Adelaide, his namesake hotel The Watson features a collection of high-quality reproduction prints.
Watson himself stated that his art is an exploration of traditional Aboriginal culture, in which the land and spirituality are intertwined and communicated through stories passed on from generation to generation. One work, entitled Ngayuku Ngura - Anumara Piti, sold for around $500,000 through Sydney's Piermarq gallery to prominent Sydney businessman Andrew Wise.
In 2014, a major work of 160 x 485 cm by Tommy Watson was exhibited at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), one of the world's most prestigious art fairs.
Yannima Tommy Watson (1930s – 2017), known as Tommy Watson, was an Indigenous Australian artist, of the Pitjantjatjara people from Australia's central western desert. These wanderings embedded in him a deep knowledge of the country, both on a physical and spiritual level.
In his adult years Watson worked as a stockman and labourer on cattle stations around Uluru in the 1960s and 70s.
So, whilst Tommy Watson did not begin to paint until his 60s, he was well aware of the Aboriginal art movement. In his mid 60s, Tommy Watson began painting at Irrunytju art centre with a small group of artists who set up there in 2001. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.
He subsequently went to live with his father's brother, who himself died two years later. Watson also travelled to other communities, including Hermannsburg where he witnessed Albert Namatjira - the trailblazer of contemporary Indigenous Australian art - paint his famous watercolours. Tragically, more than half of the population of these new communities died.
All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Yannima Tommy Watson or assignee. WARAKURNA, WA. Since 2002 Watson has emerged as. "My grandfather's country, grandmother's country. See if the rock holes are good"
Top of Page
Yannima Tommy Watson
cite web| url=http://www.unc.edu/home/owen/downloads/QANTAS%201205.pdf| format=pdf| title=The Australian Way - December - Art| accessdate=2007-11-21| author=John McDonald |date=2005-11-24| publisher=Qantas| quote=BORN C1930-32.
All images used for illustrative purposes only
|
| Ngayuku Ngura (My Country), 2015 |
|
| Ngayuku Ngura (My Country), 2015 |
Tommy Watson
Tommy Watson Biography
Yannima Tommy Watson was a senior APY Lands painter who was born around 1935 at Anamarapiti, about 40kms from Irrunytju Community (Wingellina) in Western Australia.