Aboriginal-owned Laundry Gallery in Darwin shines a spotlight on different art centres around the country every month, and their latest exhibition features three incredible artists from the Tiwi Islands.
Chris Black, Jimmy Mungatopi, and Neil Black come from a long line of Milikapiti families working at Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association on Wulirankuwu Country.
But Laundry Gallery co-founder Nina Fitzgerald says these men come from an even ‘longer line of ancestors’ who tell stories through ‘jilamara’ — Tiwi ochre designs that draw on ceremonial body painting, creation stories, and family totems.
The contemporary artists have their own unique creative approach to this tradition, which comes to life in the 30 striking pieces featured in the showcase.
‘We love that all works showcase traditional Tiwi earth pigments but very different artistic styles and stories,’ Nina adds.
‘Chris Black celebrates family totems, Jimmy Mungatopi draws on the traditional jilamara styles of his aunty Maryanne Mungatopi and applies them to stories of home and contemporary life in Milikapiti, and Neil Black paints celestial sun, moon and stars that are central to the Tiwi creation story and the Kulama (coming of age) ceremony.’
The exhibition has been given a fitting title, Ngini Ngawula Ngniraramini Ngini Ngawula Jilamara (our stories, our painting)’ and opens at the 1970s-laundromat-turned-art hub tomorrow!
All the works will also be available to purchase.
