Pepai Jangala Carroll was one of the most senior Anangu Pitjantjatjara men on the APY Lands, and is one of the most significant and important artists from this region.
“Art is also a type of memory theatre for Pepai Jangala Carroll. Although based for decades in Pukatja…Carroll’s custodial home country is his father’s country near Kintore in the Northern Territory. Carrying the recurring title of Walungurru, in this naming, like the act of painting and working in clay, is recuperative for Carroll, enabling him to call up Luritja/Pintupi country.” (Lisa Slade, 2016.)
Pepai was born in Haasts Bluff, and later moved to Papunya when the new settlement was created there. He went to school in Papunya before moving to Areyonga, where he finished school. He then travelled on horseback with his family to Eagle Bore, which is a homeland just north of Ernabella, and he lived in Ernabella for the next fifty years.
Pepai’s first work was building fences around the Ernabella station. He also worked in the community office and was the community Chairperson. He became a warden when he was still a youngfella, and was later appointed the Director of Nganampa Health, the regional health body. He was then appointed the Community Constable, a position he held until 2006 when illness forced him to retire.
In 2009, Pepai began to paint at the art centre, and in 2011 he started making ceramics. His distinct style in depicting his father’s country has seen his work selected as a finalist in the Indigenous Ceramics Art Award (2014). Pepai’s ceramics and paintings have been acquired by the Parliament House collection in Canberra, National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Araluen Collection and ArtBank. Annually since 2011 Pepai has led the Watiku (men’s) ceramics workshop in the Ernabella ceramics studio. These workshops and Pepai’s involvement are responsible for bringing the next generation of men into the art centre.
In May 2015 he had his first solo exhibition, at Alcaston Gallery in Melbourne and was also included in the Desert Salon exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia as part of the Tarnanthi Festival. In early 2016 Pepai was included in Magic Object: Adelaide Biennale of Contemporary Australian Art at the Art Gallery of South Australia, curated by Lisa Slade. He has also been shortlisted for the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art (Telstra) Awards.
In 2017 a project titled ‘Mark and Memory’ saw Pepai return to his father’s country, Pepai’s custodial country near Kintore (NT) and Kiwirrkura (WA). His works created in response to the trip were presented at the Art Gallery of South Australia and Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide as part of Tarnanthi: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art.
In August 2018 a solo exhibition of Pepai’s paintings and ceramics was presented at Outstation Gallery in Darwin. In the same year, his art was exhibited at both Sabbia Gallery and Olsen Gallery in Sydney, Aboriginal Signature gallery in Brussels (Belgium), Desert Mob in Alice Springs and more.
In 2019, Pepai was a key male leader of the Nintintjaku–Nyuyuntjaku (Teaching, passing down–Keeping the fire alive) Project supported by Australia Council through CHOSEN funding. A major outcome of the Project was the revitalisation of the skill of making of several traditional tools and implements, such as wana (digging sticks), mira/piti (wooden dish), kiti (natural glue made from spinifex), kulata (spears), tjutinypa (hunting club) and miru (spear throwers) by the next generation of Ernabella artists.
In the same year Pepai attended a ceramic residency at ANU. This brought together artists from Ernabella Arts, Erub Arts on the Torres Strait Islands, Hermannsburg Potters from the Northern Territory and Girringun Art Centre in Queensland and provided a unique opportunity for these artists to learn from each other. The work created during this residency was then shown in Berder. Gaba. Urrknga. Wantja, an exhibition at Nishi Gallery in Canberra.
In 2020 Pepai had his first international solo exhibition at Harvey Art Projects in America. He was also the winner that year of the Kings School Art Prize.
In 2021 Pepai was the first Indigenous artist to be selected for the Jam Factory’s ICON series. The sell out exhibition included paintings, large scale ceramics, a tapestry commissioned by the Australian Tapestry Workshop based on one of Pepai’s paintings and a monograph that was launched by the South Australian Premier Stephen Marshall. The exhibition is touring nationally until 2024.
Pepai passed away peacefully in Ernabella at the age of 70 soon after the exhibition opened.
