Mr Pompey was a senior painter at Iwantja Arts, in Indulkana Community on the APY Lands. Pompey’s figurative paintings offer reflections on his life as a stockman and as a country musician.

Born in the bush near Mimili, Mr Pompey grew up watching his father work at the Granite Downs cattle station. Mr Pompey and his brother Buddy grew up around cattle stations, they both had an affinity for horses and became skilled stockmen as young men.

As a stockman Mr Pompey travelled widely for work, from his home in the APY Lands to Tennant Creek and Mt Isa. During this nomadic period, Mr Pompey taught himself how to play guitar and, in the evenings, would entertain the other workers and station hands with songs around the campfire.

Mr Pompey’s wife Pollyanne Tjunkari was also a musician, and they first met at their local church where they used to sing gospel music together. They worked together as touring musicians, playing country music to audiences at remote outposts.

Like many Anangu men who worked as stockmen, Mr Pompey had fond recollections of the time he spent working alongside his friends, riding on horseback and travelling across the country. Mr Pompey leaves behind a legacy of his extensive knowledge of country, which is expressed through his painting practice, where desert landscapes are populated by cowboys and country singers.