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Bob Gibson Tjungarrayi was born at Papunya in 1974, before moving with his family to the small community of Tjukurla during the outstation movement of the 1980s. This was a time when many Ngaanyatjarra people moved from government outposts near to Alice Springs back into the Western Desert to be closer to their ancestral homelands. Bob’s mother, Mary Gibson, is also a leading Tjarlirli artist whose Country is at Kulkurta, deep in the Western Desert, while his father’s country was near Patjarr on the edge of the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve.
Bob began painting with Tjarlirli Art in 2007, and quickly found a unique rhythm and approach to mark-making; his style is characterised by bold colours and an inimitable freedom of movement, expressing ancient stories with contemporary flair. Bob is a vibrant character who is well loved within his community and provides support to many family members. He is a keen Sydney Swans supporter and loves listening to all music, especially the local bush bands.
Looking at a Bob Gibson painting feels a little like spending time with the artist himself. Bob’s bold, playful presence in the studio is contagious; each canvas brings wild shapes and expressive lines met with decisive mark-making and confident realisation of country. His highly unique representations of Tjukurrpa (Dreaming stories) are an intersection of traditional storytelling and a spirited contemporary artistic practice. Bob’s work is significant for the way it speaks to the complex layers and tensions between cultural, historical and modern influences, and challenges characterisations of what ‘real’ Aboriginal art looks like.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2022 – 2009 (descending order)
Remote Splendour – Artija Fine Art Gallery, WA
Walykumunu! Rikini Way! – Yaama Ganu, NSW
Desert Mob 2021
Salon Des Refuses 2021
Hadleys Art Prize Finalist Exhibition
JGM Gallery London – Tjarlirli and Kaltukatjara exhibition
Bayside Art Award Finalist Exhibition
Zeitreise: 15 Jahre Aboriginal Art in Freiburg, ARTKELCH, Freiburg, Germany Desert Mob 2020, Alice Springs
Tjukurla Masters – Yaama Ganu
Salon Des Refuses 2020
Rawa Titungarala – Artsource WA
Smart Art, ARTKELCH, Freiburg, Germany
Adazzle Exhibition – JGM Gallery London
Desert Mob 2019
36th Telstra NATSIAA Awards 2019 – Finalist
Port Hedland Art Award – Finalist
Desert Mob 2018
Albany Art Prize – Finalist, Albany
NGURRA: Home in the Nganyatjarra Lands, South Australian Museum, Adeliade Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Gallery
Salon De Refuse, Darwin
Tjukurla Tjukurrpa, Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney
Farben der Wüste, ARTKELCH @ Teppichhaus Jordan, Waldshut-Tiengen, Germany Flight Exhibition, FORM Gallery, Perth
Raft South Artspace
Desert Mob 2016
Salon Des Refuses
Aboriginal and Pacific Art, Sydney
Sag mir wo die Punkte sind…, ARTKELCH, Freiburg, Germany
Sehverlust und Sinneslust, ARTKELCH, Germany
art Karlsruhe 2016, ARTKELCH @ art Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
PRO COMMUNITY – Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Touring Exhibition, Germany – ARTKELCH Palya – Vivien Anderson Gallery
Tunbridge Gallery, Perth
Desert Mob 2015 – Araluen Gallery
Port Hedland Courthouse Gallery
NATSIAA 2015 – Museum & Gallery of Northern Territory
Recent Works from Tjarlirli Art- RAFT Artspace
Western Desert Mob- Paintings from Tjarlirli and Warakurna- Harvey Art Projects US Warakurna Artists and Tjarlirli Art- Vivien Anderson Gallery
Desert Mob 2014
Salon Des Refuses- Outstation Gallery
Our Home in Colour- Outstation Gallery
Living Spirit- Marshall Art
The Wild Ones, RAFT Art Space
Desert Mob Exhibtion 2013- Aruluen Arts Centre Alice Spings Telstra NATSIAA 2013
Seeing Beyond, Marshall Arts
Tjarlirli Group Show, Merenda Gallery Fremantle
Desert Mob Exhibition – Araluen Arts Centre Alice Springs Western Desert Mob Emerging Artists/ Outstation Gallery Darwin Desert Mob/ Araluen Gallery Alice Springs
Tjarlirli Group Show/ Tunbridge Gallery Margaret River