By an early age, most of Bill Whiskeys family had passed away, and many of his people had begun moving towards Haasts Bluff mission, about 250 kms away. Bill Whiskey joined a group who made that journey, but with some of the others, decided not to stay as they were frightened when they saw Europeans for the first time.
Their fear came from the belief that these white-skinned people were Mamu, or bad spirit people, and so the group continued to travel on. They eventually arrived near Areyonga where a white missionary Pastor called Patupirri had established a camp. It was here that Whiskey and the others first tasted European food. Whiskey tells how they would throw this strange food behind their backs as they didnt like its taste.
Whiskey spent some time here before moving back to the Lutheran mission at Haasts Bluff. While living at Haasts Bluff, Bill came to be called Whiskery, owing to his long bushy beard, and the name eventually evolved into Whiskey. Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri was a Ngangkari, or traditional healer in his community, and people came from afar to be treated by him.
Whiskey began painting around 2004 the main images in his works are the Rockholes near Pirupa, to the west of Ayers Rock, and the story of his journeys to Areyonga and Haasts Bluff. Although he began painting only in the last four years of his life, Bill Whiskeys paintings quickly become among the most sought after Aboriginal art works in Australia and overseas. Aboriginal art status Highly collectable artist.2006 Colliding Worlds, Tandanya, Adelaide 2006 Australian Aboriginal Art 2006/2007, John Gordon Gallery, Sydney NSW 2006 Knud Grothe Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark 2006 Aboriginal Art 2006, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne VIC 2006 Luminaries of the Desert, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA 2006 Watiyawanu, Bond Aboriginal Art, Adelaide SA 2007 Watiyawanu Artists of Amunturrngu, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA 2007 The Stockman and the Medicine Man: Jack Dale and Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA 2007 Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, John Gordon Gallery, Coffs Harbour NSW 2008 Watiyawanu Artists, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA 2009 Watiyawanu Artists, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA 2013 Landmarks and Law Grounds: Men of the Desert, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA 2014 Dot Code: Desert Artists, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle WA. The item "Billy Whiskey Tjapaltjarri 141cm x 123 cm Highly Collectible" is in sale since Monday, October 28, 2019. This item is in the category "Art\Aboriginal\Paintings". The seller is "coffey8215" and is located in Alice Springs, NT. This item can be shipped worldwide.