Derek Jungarrayi Thompson is the maternal grandson of Papunya Tula Artist, Makinti Napanangka.
He first came to work at Ernabella Arts over April 2011, during the first men-only ceramic workshop. Everyone was surprised by Derek's drawing on clay and he explained that he draws 'all the time, at home.' Derek is also an avid hunter. The translation of his drawings of the Pukatja landscape and animal life onto ceramics is unique and has received instant interest from collectors and curators.
In 2012 Derek was selected to be a finalist in the Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award. He also undertook a residency at the Ceramic Workshop of the Australian National University, where he did pottery and printmaking. In 2013 Thompson's work 'Ngintaka Kutjara' was highly commended in the Muswellbrook Art Prize and acquired by Muswellbrook Regional Gallery. Since then his collaborative works with Ngunytjima Carroll have been selected for the NATSIAAs (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards), the Sunshine Coast Art Prize and the City of Hobart Art Prize. Ngunytjima throws tall pots which Derek draws on, using the sgrafitto technique.
Thompson and Tjimpuna Williams were awarded a New Work grant by the Australia Council for the Arts and in May 2013 undertook a big pot workshop in Jingdezhen, China. This work was exhibited in March 2014 at Sydney's Sabbia Gallery. In 2015 he is exhibited with Sabbia Gallery in Sydney and Canberra, as part of the Australian Ceramics Triennale. He has been a key contributing artist in Ernabella's annual Watiku (men's) ceramic exhibition at Raft Artspace, Alice Springs. In 2016 he was included in the Sabbia 'Ceramics Masters' exhibition. From 2017 his work is touring regional Australia as part of the major exhibition 'Clay Stories: Indigenous ceramics from remote Australia'. He also presented new work alongside Pepai Jangala Carroll at the Art Gallery of South Australia in Tarnanthi | Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art.
In 2017 Derek's work was exhibited at Harvey Arts in the USA in Nyuyuntjaku - Keeping the fire alive | New pain︎ngs and ceramics by the artists of Ernabella Arts and in 2018 his work was exhibited several times, including in Something Blue at the Sabbia Gallery in Sydney.
Derek also undertook a ceramics residency at JamFactory, Adelaide alongside three other Indigenous male potters.