Ngini Ngawula Ngniraramini Ngini Ngawula Jilamara (our stories, our painting)

SHOWING NOW AT LAUNDRY GALLERY

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, Tiwi Islands. 

They come from a much longer line of ancestors that practice telling stories through jilamara – Tiwi ochre designs that draw on ceremonial body painting, creation stories and family totems. In this exhibition these three contemporary Tiwi artists bring their own unique creative approach to this work. 

Chris Black celebrates family totems that are important to him such as jarranga (buffalo) and nyarringari (magpie goose). Neil Black paints celestial sun, moon and stars that are central to the Tiwi creation story and the Kulama (coming of age) ceremony. 

Jimmy Mungatopi draws on the jilamara styles of his aunty Maryanne Mungatopi who painted scenes of Purukuparli, Wai’yai and Jinani – the original Tiwi family. Jimmy applies some of these painting techniques to tell a story about home and contemporary life in Milikapiti. 

All artists work in locally sourced earth pigments from Country and are proud to come together to share new work with audiences at Laundry Gallery in Darwin.