NGAWA NGIRRAMINI - OUR STORY: JILAMARA & TOKWUMPUWI FROM NGARUWANAJIRRI
Forthcoming exhibition
Short St Gallery presents Ngawa Ngirramini an extraordinary collection of works on paper and carvings that celebrates the bird life and jilamara (Tiwi design) that tell the stories connected to the artist's skin, dance, Dreaming and Country.
Appearing in the earliest Tiwi creation stories, Tokwumpuwi (birds) hold a significant place within Tiwi culture as messengers and bearers of news. Various Tokwampuwi such as jabirus, cormorants, pelicans, owl, curlew and small honeyeaters are the messengers between worlds, carrying stories, knowledge, and spiritual understanding that continues to feature prominently in Tiwi art and ceremony. Likewise, Jilamara is a pictorial language that has been interpreted and used by Tiwi people for thousands of years as a means of communication.
The distinctive Tiwi crosshatching design frequently seen in ochre paintings and on carvings can represent many things such as vines and other native species. Alongside these ancient designs, new motifs continue to emerge, just as language evolves over time, which is evidenced in Graham Tipungwati's works on paper. Ngawa Ngairramini show Tiwi culture as it is; dynamic and responsive, adapting while maintaining its deep cultural foundations.
Through their carving and jilamara the artists in this exhibition continue to share their stories, honouring ancestral knowledge while ensuring it remains alive for future generations as attested in the Ngawa Ngirramini artists exhibition statement - 'We are our animals, our totems. We are family to all the beings on the Tiwi Islands. When we pass away, we become our totem, our dance'.
Short St Gallery invites you to view our Ngawa Ngirramini wonderland by visiting the gallery during opening hours or online 24/7. A catalogue can be obtained through enquiries@shortstgallery.com.
Appearing in the earliest Tiwi creation stories, Tokwumpuwi (birds) hold a significant place within Tiwi culture as messengers and bearers of news. Various Tokwampuwi such as jabirus, cormorants, pelicans, owl, curlew and small honeyeaters are the messengers between worlds, carrying stories, knowledge, and spiritual understanding that continues to feature prominently in Tiwi art and ceremony. Likewise, Jilamara is a pictorial language that has been interpreted and used by Tiwi people for thousands of years as a means of communication.
The distinctive Tiwi crosshatching design frequently seen in ochre paintings and on carvings can represent many things such as vines and other native species. Alongside these ancient designs, new motifs continue to emerge, just as language evolves over time, which is evidenced in Graham Tipungwati's works on paper. Ngawa Ngairramini show Tiwi culture as it is; dynamic and responsive, adapting while maintaining its deep cultural foundations.
Through their carving and jilamara the artists in this exhibition continue to share their stories, honouring ancestral knowledge while ensuring it remains alive for future generations as attested in the Ngawa Ngirramini artists exhibition statement - 'We are our animals, our totems. We are family to all the beings on the Tiwi Islands. When we pass away, we become our totem, our dance'.
Short St Gallery invites you to view our Ngawa Ngirramini wonderland by visiting the gallery during opening hours or online 24/7. A catalogue can be obtained through enquiries@shortstgallery.com.