Miyinga, 2014, Maria Josette Orsto
Ochre on canvas, 53cm x 115cm
Provenance: Tiwi Art at Darwin Art Fair, Darwin.
Maria Josette Orsto (nee Apuatimi) was the first female Tiwi artist to become an official member of Tiwi Design on Bathurst Island, one of the oldest Aboriginal art centres in Australia. She is the daughter of renowned Tiwi artists Declan Apuatimi and Jean Baptiste Apuatimi. Orsto works across a range of media including ochre and acrylic on canvas and paper, printmaking, batik and wood sculpture, and her works are inspired by the countless hours of watching her parents work. She learnt many of her family stories and designs that connected them to their broader Tiwi community. Orsto’s work is held in Australian and international private collections and in numerous public collections (1).
Miyinga is the Tiwi name for scarification. It has close reference to sorry business ceremony that is conducted and undertaken by Tiwi people. The scar becomes a physical reminder of a particular person’s memory. It therefore has permanence and gives meaning. In Miyinga, Orsto has created a contemporary work of art that is informed by her world view, reaching across the dichotomy of the Tiwi world and the western world (2).
Other works by this artist: