Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles Tjapaltjarri

The art of Jackie Giles is a bridge between Aboriginal cosmology and the modern world. His paintings reveal the profundity of Dreamtime and the wisdom possessed by traditional healers. Text in English and French.

For a large part of his life, Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles Tjapaltjarri (ca 1935-2010) led a nomadic existence, traveling across large tracts of and later spending time in small communities in Australia’s vast Western Desert region.

Jackie Giles was renowned as a man of great erudition and a powerful healer, Maparnjarra in his native Ngaanyatjarra language. The powers of these traditional healers include the gift of seeing into the bodies and even the spirits of others. In the 1990s, Jackie Giles started painting with acrylic on canvas. Mr Giles, as he was often called, combined an intimate knowledge of his land with his own oneiric visions to build what became a significant personal oeuvre. These paintings celebrate the Tjukurpa (Dreaming), which pervades the land and is a cornerstone of its identity.

Built around labyrinthine patterns and monumental shapes, these dynamic, rhythmical compositions allude to the esoteric, sacred subject matter of the Dreaming. The intense, striking works that make up this awe-inspiring oeuvre manage to link two dimensions: Ngaanyatjarra cosmology and the rapidly changing modern world.

Text in English and French.

This book title, Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles Tjapaltjarri, ISBN: 9791254600436, by Hetti Kemarre Perkins, Georges Petitjean, Michael Stitfold, published by Five Continents Editions (November 18, 2025) is available in hardcover. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.

Unlike Amazon and other retailers who may also offer Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles Tjapaltjarri books on their website, we specialize in large quantities and provide personal service, from trusted, experienced, friendly people in Portland, Oregon. We offer a Price Match Guarantee, and QuickQuote form, to make purchasing quick and easy.

Prefer to work with a human being when you order Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles Tjapaltjarri books in bulk? Our Book Specialists are standing by Monday-Friday 8-5 PST, ready to help!