Tiwi Artists

Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands.

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 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