Jilamara Design, 2014, Cornelia Tipuamantumirri
Ochre on linen, 122cm x 155cm
Provenance: Munupi Arts, Darwin.
Cornelia Tipuamantumirri grew up on Bathurst Island in the Tiwi Islands under the guardians of the mission. As a young woman, she would educate weavers and teach the children traditional Tiwi dances. Tipuamantumirri uses the kayimwagakimi for her work, dipping the comb shaped carved ironwood into her ochre palette; shades of pinks and yellows to portray the reflections of her long life lived on the Tiwi Islands. Her works tell the story of the connection of the land and sea as seen from her Island (1).
From the authenticity certificate: All jilamara (design) is originally drawn from the body painting which accompanied the pukumani (funeral) and kulama (initiation/yam) ceremonies. An individual design and aesthetic is highly valued by Tiwi artists and is representative of their person interpretation of the traditional Tiwi design.