Mary MAGDALENE TIPUNGWUTI

born 1935, Bathurst Island
lives and works Melville Island
Skin name: Stone
Language group: Tiwi

On Australia’s Tiwi Islands the art of body painting for ceremonial cultural purposes has been practiced for thousands of years and the traditional forms of mark-making are derived from the creation story.
 
All Jilamara, (traditional Tiwi design), is drawn from the body painting which accompanies the Pukumani (funeral) and Kulama (initiation/yam) ceremonies.  All Tiwi artists use a simple three colour organic palette of – natural white, yellow  and red ochre.
 
As a highly respected elder working out of the Jilamara art centre, Mary is almost the last surviving bridge between the deep Tiwi past and the younger generation artists working at the bustling Jilamara art centre.  Her work is characterised by free flowing brush work which captures her own sense of Jilamara in a way which seems profoundly raw and alive without ever becoming formulaic.

To my eye her work is still fundamentally connected to the old ways.  The designs from the old times live in her, she has that knowledge.  Meanwhile, around her, the next generations of artists are exploring new ways to bring out their designs.

Steven Moore, Art Coordinator, Jilamara Arts and Crafts. 2006

Other selected artwork acquisitions