Skip to content

About

ABOUT Jilamara

Established in 1989, Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association is owned and governed by artists from the community of Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands. Comprised of two main islands Bathurst and Melville, the Tiwis are north of Darwin and have been home to Tiwi people since parlingarri (creation time). The Milikapiti community is on Wulirankuwu Country on the north coast of Melville Island overlooking the Arafura Sea. It is a small community that celebrates family, culture and art-making.

The art centre is the cultural hub of the community and houses working studios, wood carving and screen-printing workshops, the architecturally designed Kutuwulumi Gallery and the Muluwurri Museum – the only historical collection on Melville Island.

The term Jilamara describes “design” based on ceremonial ochre markings on the body. Reimagining these styles at the art centre has fostered a dynamic creative field for maintaining Tiwi knowledge, as well as sharing and celebrating contemporary living culture. These performative foundations have directed the organisation’s course for decades, from its origins in translating jilamara design to screen-printed garments as an adult education centre in the 1980s to producing major exhibition outcomes as an indigenous governed art centre in more recent decades.

“From body it moved onto bark and then canvas, silk, printing and now we are moving into digital. Culture is evolving with time.” – Colin Heenan-Puruntatameri, 2019

Through workshops, training and representation Jilamara members of diverse abilities are supported to build careers as internationally renowned artists. In the community, the art centre is also an important place for local school children to learn through culture classes and for many generations of Tiwi people to build bright futures.

THE ART CENTRE

Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association is the creative and cultural hub of the Milikapiti community. The art centre represents the artwork of around 60 active artists and employs 12 regular staff. Jilamara provides access to employment, education and training and is open to all Tiwi people living in Milikapiti.

The Kutuwulumi Gallery, named after the late Kitty Kantilla, houses artworks for sale. This state of the art building was designed by internationally acclaimed Troppo Architects. It opened in 2012 along with the Murrunungumirri Carvers Shed named after the late Paddy Freddy Puruntatameri and the newly renovated location for the Muluwurri Museum Collection. The women’s shed, named after acclaimed artist Nancy Henry Ripijingimpi plays host to a revived textile screen printing and painting studio.

THE ARTWORK

Jilamara artists are nationally and internationally renowned for their unique Tiwi style. They produce contemporary works based on ceremonial body painting designs, clan totems and Tiwi creation stories.

The Tiwi palette of red, yellow, white and black are made from natural ochre pigments collected on Country around Milikapiti and prepared in the studios.

Artwork by Jilamara artists are held in major collections around the world including the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of NSW, Queensland Art Gallery, Art Gallery of South Australia, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Arty Gallery of Western Australia, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Newcastle, Commonwealth Institute (UK), Gantner Myer Collection (Aus), Wesfarmers Collection (Aus), Artbank (Aus), Gordon & Marilyn Darling Collection (Aus), Levi-Kaplan Collection (USA), The British Museum (UK), Utrecht Aboriginal Art Museum (NL), Musée du quai Branly (Fr), The Fowler Museum, UCLA (USA), The Israel Museum (Il), Kulge-Ruhe (USA) and Fondation Opale (Sw).


Buy Jilamara Artwork Online