COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: ARTWORKS FROM THE TIWI ISLANDS

'I am a senior artist from Milikapiti, Melville Island in the Northern Territory. I’ve travelled all around Australia and overseas representing Tiwi culture and my family, sharing our culture to the Australians and to the outside world. As an artist at Jilamara I also do a lot of dancing and singing. Dancing and singing is very important to me, it’s like painting. It gives me passage to find a way to the next step in my art,' Pedro Wonaeamirri, Tiwi artist. 

The Tiwi Islands are located North of Darwin in the Northern Territory and comprise of Melville Island, Bathurst Island and nine other small Islands. Tiwi culture is very unique, as Pedro says, it has an emphasis on dance and also the Pukumani (burial) ceremony. As well as a skin name, each person has their own dreaming and dance which they inherit. During ceremony, the body is painted in geometric abstract designs, known as jilamara. The art of the Tiwi Islands is often derived from the artists personal jilamara painted with natural ochre on to bark, canvas or sculpture. This has resulted in a culture where self-expression is admired and each artist develops their own unique aesthetic within the traditional practice and with an emphasis on good design. Creating beautiful art is part of Tiwi culture and has been recognised by the many important institutions and collections that Tiwi art can be found in world wide.

Short St Gallery works with three art communities on the Tiwi Islands, Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association, Munupi Arts and Crafts Association and Ngaruwanajirri Inc. Each art centre offers a unique perspective into the art and culture of the Tiwi Islands. The art community celebrates engagement in Jilamara (good design) and encourages artists to find their own voice and expression across all three art centres. This is evident in the diverse styles found in the Tiwi Islands. They range from gestural, to refined lines and geometric shapes, through to ephemeral mark making. The result is hypnotic paintings and sculptures that hold the weight of history while celebrating the artists individual voice. In the words of artist Columbiere Tpiungwuti, 'Long, long, long time ago our great, great grand parents taught us how to paint, we have to have that in our heads and we gotta remember it and know it.' Short St Gallery invites you to view artworks from our Tiwi collection, if you fall in love with more than one work, we are offering 10% off multiple purchases from this collection until the end of September.

In our efforts to continue to support and promote the industry we love and the artists we work with during the pandemic, Short St Gallery are doing Artist Profiles and Community Spotlights regularly, often with a special promotion, so keep your eyes on our emails for that little bit of something special. Our current promotions include free shipping on Alison Anderson artworks and if you fall in love with more than one work from the Tiwi Islands, we are offering a 10% discount on multiple purchases from the region, until the end of September. 
You can access our fun new View on a Wall option by clicking on an image and then selecting View on a Wall. You can contact us via email or phone for all enquiries, to arrange a live chat or have additional images sent to you. We will also be posting videos and still footage of the featured artworks on our social media accounts to bring a little bit of the joy of art to your lounge rooms.