Timothy Cook
Timothy Cook is a prolific painter who has been a vital member of Jilamara Arts and Crafts at Milikapiti on Melville Island since the late 1990s. Cook’s Country is Mananowmi, a region of the Goose Creek area. He paints designs using locally sourced natural pigments in a loose and gestural style to explore themes including the kulama / yam, coming-of-age ceremony, japarra / the moon and japalinga / the stars. His art represents Tiwi culture from a contemporary and dynamic perspective.
Timothy has been creating paintings, prints and carvings at Jilamara Arts and Crafts since 1999 and has represented the art centre in numerous high-profile solo and group exhibitions. His art is very personal to him; he likes parlingarri jilamara ‘old designs’ which he learnt from growing up with the wulimawi (old people). These are the unique and striking combinations of kurluwukari (circles), pwanga (dots) and marlipinyini (lines) that make up jilamara – body paint design and the complex visual culture of the Tiwi people.
For many years Timothy has focused more specifically on the circular Kulama design. The Kulama ceremony is the Tiwi initiation which coincides with the harvest of wild yam. The ceremony is performed late in the wet season when a ring appears around Japarra (the moon). Elders of both sexes sing and dance for three days, welcoming children into adulthood. The circles in his work symbolize the moon, yam and ritual circles of the Kulama ceremony, the pwanga (dots) reflect the japalinga (stars).
“Japarra is the moon – it also means Moonman. He is important to the Tiwi people, they know. Japalinga means stars.”
“I like painting for culture way – Kulama – that means painting culture. We teach culture. Kulama also mean yam – they eat that one, they get it from the ground and eat it. Kulama is ceremony where they yoi [dance].”
“I paint Japarra, Kulama and Japalinga.”
Skin: Marntupuni (House Fly)
