Nancy Henry Ripijingimpi was a senior artist who painted on bark and made carvings from ironwood at home.  Her artworks were also some of the earliest designs to be transferred onto screens for textile printing in the late 80’s. During this period Jilamara transitioned from an Adult Education Centre to an Incorporated Association. Her designs were…

Kitty Kantilla, is known as the ‘first old lady of Jilamara’ and was a founding member of Jilamara Arts & Crafts. Having passed away in October 2003, Kitty’s legacy survives her at Jilamara and throughout the Australian Contemporary art world. Kitty once said of her art, “The jilamara that I do, it’s my father’s design.…

Marie Carmel Kerinauia was born in the bush at Paru, Melville Island, on the Apsley Strait opposite the mission on Bathurst Island. Her mother was Kitty Kantilla’s sister. Marie Carmel was ‘grown-up’ by her mothers (in Tiwi culture, aunties have similar kinship relationships to the birth mother). She came to live in Milikapiti as a young…

Born in 1982 in Darwin, Pauletta grew up on Paru, an outstation on Melville Island. She attended school at Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu) Public school then Wurrumiyanga Catholic High School where she completed her HSC.  After training in Business studies and working at the CDEP office in Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island she decided to follow her dream…

Dymphna Kerinauia is from a large family of artists. She is the niece of the late highly acclaimed Tiwi artist Kitty Kantilla (c1928 – 2003). In Tiwi culture the daughter of a sibling is considered to be also one’s own daughter. Dymphna started painting at Jilamara Art centre in 2000 and was greatly influenced by…