Articles - 25 July 2007

Tiwi Art

Tiwi people live on Bathurst and Melville Islands, 100km from Darwin on the north coast of Australia. Their art is a living, evolving expression of Tiwi culture and contains many elements relating to traditions and ceremonies. Tiwi people decorate their body with ochre and body adornments for traditional ceremonies and celebrations and the Tiwi jewellery range displays their unique designs, which originate from the traditional life of the Tiwi people.

In July 2002 a group of Tiwi artists from the art centres at Milikapiti, Pirlangimpi and Nguiu participated in a jewellery workshop on the Tiwi Islands with Melbourne jeweler, Alison Limb. The purpose of the workshop was to assist the artists in developing skills in jewellery design, exploring various techniques of wax carving, modeling, filing and wax design. The artists involved in the workshop drew on their existing designs and style of working as carvers, potters, painters and printmakers. Emphasis was placed on creating a selection of unique designs displaying traditional Tiwi designs and motifs. Each wax design is cast in silver and then reproduced as a unique range of Tiwi jewellery. The attention to finishing each piece, fittings and final details (outsourced to a professional jeweller) creates a high quality product which maintains the artist's style and integrity.

Each piece is discretely stamped with the distinctive Tiwi Art logo acknowledging Tiwi origin and authenticity and Tiwi artists receive direct royalties from the sales. The Tiwi Jewellery range has been licensed by the Tiwi Art Network Aboriginal Corporation and designed by the following artists:

Jilamara Arts and Crafts
Janice Murray, Jocelyn Black, Kenny Brown, Patrick Freddy Puruntatameri and Raelene Kerinauia.

Munupi Arts and Crafts
Columbiere Tipungwuti, Robert Puruntatameri and Theresa Burak.

Tiwi Design
Alan Kerinauia, Maria Josette Orsto and Renee Kerinauia.

Product catalogue can be viewed online at www.tiwiart.com or download

Also see: 716 craft·design Issue #23 August 2007
Special issue on Indigenous craft and design