Rhoda Tjitayi / Piltati Tjukurpa (19910)

Rhoda Tjitayi is a highly respected contemporary Pitjantjatjara artist from Pukatja (Ernabella) in the APY Lands of South Australia. Born in 1969, Rhoda comes from a strong cultural lineage and paints the important Dreaming stories that have been passed down through generations of women in her family.

From an early age Rhoda was surrounded by painting, storytelling, singing and ceremony. She spent time sitting beside her grandmother while she painted, listening to stories and learning through observation. These memories remain central to Rhoda’s artistic practice today and continue to guide the stories she shares through her work.

Rhoda paints significant cultural narratives including Piltati Tjukurpa, Caterpillar Dreaming, Honey Ant Dreaming and Seven Sisters. These stories are deeply connected to Country, survival, ceremony and family history, and carry important cultural knowledge that has been carefully preserved and handed down over generations.

Her paintings are recognised for their extraordinary use of colour, movement and intricate patterning. Through layered dot work, flowing lines and luminous colour combinations, Rhoda creates vibrant compositions that feel both contemporary and deeply rooted in traditional Pitjantjatjara culture. Inspired by the colours of rainbows, desert landscapes and ceremonial body paint, her works radiate energy and spiritual connection.

Rhoda often speaks about painting as a way of honouring her grandmother and keeping her family stories alive. She describes hearing her grandmother’s voice guiding her while she paints, reminding her of colours, stories and cultural responsibilities. Today Rhoda continues this tradition by teaching her own children and grandchildren through painting, storytelling and song.

Since beginning her professional career, Rhoda has gained increasing recognition for her powerful visual language and important cultural narratives. Her work has been exhibited widely throughout Australia and she was featured in the 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Rhoda has also been selected as a Wynne Prize finalist and has participated in numerous exhibitions.

Selected Exhibitions
• 2022 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Free/State, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
• 2022 Uwankaraku Inmaku Pakala – Everybody Dance, Sydney
• 2021 Ngura Pulka – Epic Country, Adelaide
• 2021 Salon des Refusés, The David Roche Foundation, Adelaide
• 2021 Milpatjunanyi, Adelaide
• 2021 Ngura Palyannyangka Wiru Ngaranytjaku – Healing Country, Sydney
• 2021 Salon des Refusés, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
• 2021 Uwankara – All of Us, Adelaide
• 2020 Watarkurinytja Wiya – Don’t Forget, Adelaide

Awards
• Wynne Prize Finalist

This painting depicts Piltati Tjukurpa, an important ancestral creation story connected to Rhoda Tjitayi’s family and Country in the APY Lands.

The story centres around the sacred waterhole at Piltati, a place of deep cultural and spiritual significance that has been passed down through generations of Rhoda’s family. Rhoda learned this story from her grandmother, who would paint, sing and tell the story while teaching younger family members.

According to the Tjukurpa, two sisters named Wanyinta and Alartjatjarra travelled across Country with their husbands searching for food and water. The women were skilled hunters and gatherers, regularly collecting food to share with their families. On one occasion, before returning home, the sisters ate some of the food themselves. When their husbands realised the women had delayed returning, they became angry and transformed into powerful water snakes at the nearby waterhole.

The water snakes swallowed the sisters, becoming part of the sacred creation story connected to the site. The waterhole at Piltati remains associated with these ancestral beings and is regarded as a powerful and spiritually important place. The sweet water found there is linked to both the water snakes and the Honey Ant Dreaming connected to the area.

Rhoda paints this story as a way of preserving and passing on the cultural knowledge entrusted to her by her grandmother. Through flowing lines, intricate dot work and vibrant colour, she maps the waterholes, travelling routes and spiritual presence connected to this sacred Country.

For Rhoda, painting Piltati Tjukurpa is both an act of remembrance and cultural continuation, ensuring these stories remain alive for future generations.