Details of Brian Farmer illortamini
About
DOMICILE: MILIKAPITI, MELVILLE ISLAND, NT
AGENCY: JILAMARA ARTS & CRAFTS
COUNTRY: PICKATARAMOOR
LANGUAGE: TIWI
SKIN GROUP: MIYARINGA (PANDANUS)
DANCE: MARTANI (SEAGULL)
MEDIUMS: OCHRES ON PAPER, CANVAS.
Brian went to school in Darwin and lived in Central Australia completing a teacher's assistant course in the 1980's. He was teacher's aide at Milikapiti School. In 1981 he participated in the Kulama ceremony held and Milikapiti. Old man (his relation) held teh last Kulama but Brian was in hospital
Brian painted for ceremony but not commercially until 2004 when he joined Jilamara/ Brain says about his work, "Sometimes there is a story that I follow to keep the memories alive. Like a journey of growing up going through all the stages to manhood - initiations. So body design is an abstract design which is literally translated from ceremony, but also represents a person's journey through life. No good wasting a bit of wisdom when I go, it's not learnt by young people, not even in the back of their heads, so it is important it is written'.
His art has a sensitive feel, his mark making light and airy. Brian represents the Tiwi people as one of the many Indigenous Tiwi directors with ANKAAA. He plays an important role for Tiwi culture giving and receiving information with the arts.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2005 Jilamara, Walkabout Gallery, Sydney
2006 Yirrajirrima murrakupuni ngawurraningimarri, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
2006 All the Tiwi Mob, Short St Gallery, Broome
2008 Three Countries, all of us, our good designs, Tiwi Art Network annual exhibition, Darwin
2009 Mukumuwu, To Be Together, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
2009 Wulikija Jilamara, Northern Editions, Charles Darwin University, Darwin
2009 Jilamara Kangi, Colour on Paper, Tunbridge Gallery, Margaret River
2010 Nginimuwila Jilamara, Our Design, Grafton Regional Gallery
2010 Yingarti Jilamara, Marianne Newman Gallery, Sydney
2011 Nginimuwila Kurrujipini - Our Colour, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
2011 Awirankini Jilamara, Short St Gallery, Broome
Bibliography
Bennett, J., 1992, 'Ngingingawala Jilamara kapi purunguparri (Our Bark Paintings),' Gallery Monthly Magazine of the National Gallery Society of Victoria, September.
Bennett, J., 1993, 'Narrative and decoration in Tiwi painting: Tiwi representations of the Purukuparli Story,' Art Bulletin of Victoria 33, 39-47. (C)
1993, The Body Tiwi Aboriginal Art from Melville and Bathurst Islands, exhib. cat., The University Gallery, University of Tasmania at Launceston. (C)
1994, Art of the Tiwi from the Collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, exhib. cat., National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
Butler, Roger , Permanent collection of prints and illustrated books, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2001.
Jilamara Arts & Craft Association, Living Tiwi: Tiwi Awuta Yimpanguwi exhibition catalogue, 2004.
Jilamara Arts & Craft Association, Nginimuwila Jilamara, Our Design, catalogue, 2010
