Tiwi Jilamara showcases the artists from Milikapiti in the Tiwi Islands. The artists are both founding members and second generation members of the Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association in Milikapiti, which nestles in Snake Bay on the Northern side of the island looking out to the Arafura Sea. Tiwi is the shared language of Bathurst and Melville Islands and the name of the Indigenous people of the islands. Tiwi art is an expression of life in the unique environment of the islands and a culture, laws and lifestyle that have flourished for thousands of years including an ancestral past expressed through mythology and a ceremony.
The pieces appear to be abstract but are rich with symbolic meaning, and based in design from pwoja (body painting) and pukumani (burial poles). Ochres are collected on Milikapiti (Melville Island) by the Tiwi artists, then ground and made into pigment. The paintings showcase the great strength that Tiwi artists demonstrate in translating their culture into fine arts. The rich colours of the earth, the footsteps of the Tiwi ancestors and the artist's expression come together in this beautiful exhibition.
Artists include: Marietta Tidungwuti, Aileen Henry, Kitty Kutuwalumi Purawarrumpatu, Ian Cook Mungatopi, Chris Tipiloura, Janice Murray, Patrick (Andrew) Freddy Puruntatameri, Sheila Puruntatameri, Katrina Kerinauia, Mariecarmel Kerinauia, Teresina Farmer, Robert Edward Puruntatameri, Nicholas Mario, Romolo Tipiloura, Francine Timaepatua, Karen Anne Puruntatameri, Nina Puruntatameri, Jocelyn Black, Linus Warlapinni and Kenny Brown.
Works on paper and textile by Healesville Aboriginal Artists Print Cooperative including United Mobs in Art.
Artists: Aunty Kim and Lewis Wandin, Merilyn and Jillian Duff, Jamielee Edwards, Lisa Hodgson, Jacque and Alanna Sandy, Raelene Cheetham, Megan Prout, Jacqui Wandin, Kelvin Thompson and Jo Vose.
Djirra Binak, Aunty Kim Wandin
Lomandra longifolia