b. 1962 in Papunya, Northern Territory
Lives and works in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).
Warlpiri
Adrian Jangala Robertson (b. 1962) is a Warlpiri artist born in Papunya and based in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. A senior figure at the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists Studio, a supported studio for artists living with disability, Robertson is known for his emotive portrayals of family, community, and the desert landscape.
Raised in Papunya, Robertson grew up among the pioneers of the Western Desert Painting movement, even remembering major painter Geoff Bardon as a school teacher. Robertson’s father’s country travels from west of Walungurru through Karku at Nyirrpi to Warlurkurlangu at Yuendumu. His father, Jampitjinpa, lived at Mount Doreen close to Yuendumu and later worked at Papunya as a gardener and builder. Jampitjinpa is a brother to the late Darby Ross Jampitjinpa. Robertson’s mother is the late Eunice Napangardi, a renowned painter in her own right. It is her country, Yalpirakinu, that Adrian paints.
A landscape painter, Robertson works with a predominantly restricted palette. His paintings consistently refer to the desert mountains, ridges and trees which are part of Yalpirakinu. His brushwork is loaded with energy, drama and memories. He is a deliberate and thoughtful painter; reworking, pushing and pulling the image to completion.
In 2002 Adrian joined The Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists: a supported art studio in central Australia for First Nations artists living with disability. Since then, Robertson has accumulated numerous awards, with many of his works being acquired into prominent collections including the ARTBANK Collection, Museum And Art Gallery, Northern Territory, the Art Gallery Art Gallery of New South Wales. Adrian’s previous accolades include winning the NATSIAA Telstra Painting Award in 2020 and the Alice Prize in 2022, further solidifying his place among Australia’s most exciting contemporary artists from the Central Desert region. Notably, in 2024 Robertson became the first Aboriginal artist to be a finalist in the Wynne, Archibald and Sulman prizes in the same year. His success continued into 2025, with another Archibald Prize finalist selection and inclusion in the Mosman Prize.
