Biography

Curtis Jampijinpa Fry was born in Yeundumu in 1964. His parents passed away when he was young. Shorty Jangala Robertson, his sister Helen Nampijinpa Robertson and Thomas Jangala Rice are his family now. They are well-known artists working with Warlukurlangu Artists. Curtis attended the local Yuendumu school. After leaving school he joined a band and later joined the Broadcasting team for PAW Media, one of eight remote Indigenous Media Organisations in Australia. Curtis is a legendary musician and long-time broadcaster at PAW. His daily Curtis Fry Show has a loyal fan base and showcases local Yapa music-including classics from Curtis “Spunky Monkey” Fry himself. Curtis is a unique radio talent. He has undertaken media training in Darwin as well as locally. Curtis can be seen in action on the PAW Radio recruitment video of 2011. Curtis has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal owned and governed art centre located in Yuendumu, since 2002. He paints his father’s Jukurrpa stories, stories which relate directly to his land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it. These stories were passed down to him by his father and his father’s father before them for millennia. Curtis uses traditional designs and icons with an unrestricted palette to develop a modern interpretation of his traditional culture.