In late 1984, Thomas and eight other relatives of the Pintupi Tribe walked out of the desert in Western Australia and made contact for the first time with European society.  They were the last aboriginal nomads traversing the land. This was a major historical event and his family created international headlines.  Until this time Thomas and his family lived the traditional life of a hunter-gatherer society.  Their intimate knowledge of the land, its flora and fauna and waterholes allowed them to survive, as their ancestors had for thousands of years.  It is this sacred landscape with its significant sites that Thomas so strikingly describes in his paintings.

Forming part of an important cultural account in Australian Indigenous history, Thomas has exhibited his work in Australia and abroad in both solo and group exhibitions. He is a major artist whose work is highly collectable.