Untitled (Tiwi Pukumani ceremony)

Artist Pedro Wonaeamirri (1974)

Date1995

Object number00018369

NamePainting

MediumOchre, lanaquerelle paper

DimensionsImage: 707 x 510 mm
Sheet: 763 x 567 mm
Overall: 763 x 567 mm, 0.3 kg
Display Dimensions: 760 x 570 mm

ClassificationsArt

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection

Terms

DescriptionAn untitled painting by Pedro Wonaeamirri based on the Tiwi Islands Pukumani ceremony. Refers to the intricate ochre patterning traditionally applied to the bodies of dancers and the surface of carved poles during the Pukamani funeral ceremony. This ceremony is still a part of community life and continues to inform the current art practice of the Tiwi people. Pedro Wonaeamirri's skin group is Mulipurrula (White Cockatoo) and dance is Jilarti (Brolga).HistoryThe Tiwi word ‘Jilamara’, which roughly translates to ‘design’, refers to the intricate ochre patterning traditionally applied to the bodies of dancers and the surface of carved poles during the Pukamani funeral ceremony. This ceremony is still a part of community life and continues to inform the current art practice of the Tiwi people. Tiwi work displays its own regionally distinct identity, and varies greatly in form and content from the indigenous art of the Arnhem and Central Desert regions of Australia. -Jilamara Arts and Crafts | Tiwi IslandsSignificanceThe Tiwi Island community has very strong artist traditions that are based in the rich cultural and spiritual association with their land and life cycles. The distinctive geometric patterns are unique to their region and differ notably from those of the mainland despite the relative geographical closeness.