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- Pwoja - Pukumani Ian Cook Mungatopi
Pwoja - Pukumani Ian Cook Mungatopi
Pwoja - Pukumani Body Paint Design by Ian Cook Mungatopi Tiwi
Ochre on Canvas, 70 x 90 cm
Stretched $1500
The large fields of pure ochre colour in Ian’s paintings give space to appreciate the texture and richness of the pigments themselves; their natural palette is a great source of pride for Tiwi artists.
Aesthetically it is also greatly influenced by body paint design for Pukumani ceremony, specifically for sibling relationships.
’I paint body paint designs. Use the different colour ochres. Big colour, all yellow on the face, on the body too. Face half yellow, face half white, like sister or brother passed away, what you call cousin. Could be yellow, could be red, same thing.’
In Tiwi culture the relationship of cousin, is considered to be sister or brother. To help us understand the closeness of this relationship Tiwi often use an English translation of ‘cousin-sister’ or ‘cousin brother’.
Traditional Tiwi culture placed special significance on the Pukumani (funeral) ceremony. Mourners are decorated using natural ochres to disguise themselves from the spirit of the deceased, and songs and dance is performed to honour the dead. Pwoja (body paint) is the source of many contemporary Tiwi designs and performance of the pukumani as ritual helps reinvigorate the imagery.