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. At the time, the camp at Paru was well known as a group of Tiwi cultural leaders and artists who had strong knowledge of the old ways and the old Tiwi language –…

Born in 1982 at Darwin, Pauletta spent the first few years of her life at Paru, a small camp on Melville Island. She attended school at Nguiu Public Primary School followed by Nguiu Catholic High School, where she completed her HSC. After training in Business Studies and working at the CDEP (Community Development Education Program)…

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…