 He is credited with being one of the men who painted the Honey Ant Dreaming on the wall of the Papunya School at Geoff Bardon's request.He was, in the 1970s, one of the first chairmen of Papunya Tula Pty Ltd.

Tjapaltjarri later moved west to Ilili, a pioneer in the country camp movement, although in his later years he has spent much time in Alice Springs.He travelled to New York City in 1988 for the opening of the "Dreamings" show at the Asia Society and, along with Michael Nelson Jagamarra, created a sand painting as part of the exhibition.