Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
Jilamara Arts is a remote Indigenous art centre in Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands
The art centre is the cultural hub of the community and houses working studios, wood carving and screen-printing workshops, the architecturally designed Kutuwulumi Gallery and the Muluwurri Museum
Our Latest Artwork
Ningiwulla ngirramini kitirumi yilaruwu jilamara
keeping culture strong through art
Our Art Centre
Established in 1989, Jilamara Arts is owned and governed by artists from the community of Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands. Through workshops, training and representation Jilamara members are supported to build careers as internationally renowned artists. In the community it is an important place for many generations of Tiwi people to build bright futures.
Our Culture
Jilamara artists are known for their Tiwi style, producing contemporary works based on ceremonial body painting designs, clan totems and Tiwi creation stories.
Our Art
The term Jilamara describes “design” based on ceremonial ochre markings on the body. Reimagining these styles at the art centre has fostered a dynamic creative field for maintaining Tiwi knowledge, as well as sharing and celebrating contemporary living culture.
Wurrungura
Wurrungura is a multi-media centre and digital archive for the audiovisual documentation and distribution of Tiwi heritage and culture.
Muluwurri Museum
Established in 1988, the collection is held in trust for the Milikapiti community. This important keeping place houses the priceless collection of Tiwi artefacts, carvings, paintings, prints, photographs and war medals.
Ngawa Mantawi
Jilamara’s Ngawa Mantawi program is an inclusive disability program at the art centre, that aims to support members with diverse needs to have sustainable careers in the arts, while living at home close to family and Country.
https://captur3d.io/view/uplands/jilamara-arts-crafts-and-muluwurri-museum 
We are Aboriginal owned and we produce authentic Tiwi art – ironwood carved birds and Tutini poles, ochre paintings on bark, canvas, linen and paper, original limited edition prints and hand screenprinted textiles.
Be part of Jilamara's continued success and join our community of supporters by making a donation in the form on your left
We’re on social @jilamaraartsandcrafts
Walter Brooks with his amazing work Wangatunga Jirtaka Jilamara (folded bark baskets with sawfish design) in the Rigg Design Prize at NGV Australia open to the public from today ✨✨✨
Congratulations to all the finalists and Alfred Lowe @aforalfie for being awarded the prize last night!
If you are in Melbourne and want to hear Walter talk about his project and work please come and join his artist talk tomorrow Saturday 20th Sept at 11am — level 3 NGV Australia Ian Potter Centre at Fed Square.
Photo: Tim Carrafa @timcarrafa
@ngvmelbourne
#walterbrooks #jilamaraarts #tiwiart #tunga
We are a long way from collecting Stringybark with Kenny Brown on Wulirankuwu Country, but Walter Brooks is in Melbourne this week to celebrate an amazing intergenerational project. A selection of ochre painted tunga (folded stringybark baskets) that he made under the mentorship of Kenny Brown and Pedro Wonaeamirri are featured in this year’s RIGG Design Prize at NGV Australia.
Congratulations to all the fellow finalists!
The Rigg Design Prize 2025 is announced this week and opens 19 September at NGV Australia.
Now in its 10th edition, this landmark exhibition celebrates 35 exceptional Australian designers under 35, working across ceramics, glass, furniture, woodwork, metalwork, textiles, lighting, and contemporary jewellery.
Experience the free exhibition, Rigg Design Prize 2025 - Next in Design: 35 under 35 and celebrate the creative excellence of Australia’s early career designers and makers.
With thanks to Major Partner
@deakinuniversity and Major Supporter Cicely & Colin Rigg Bequest managed by Equity Trustees.
@ngvmelbourne #riggdesignprize2025
Images 1/2: courtesy of the artist and Jilamara Arts. Photo: @willheathcote_art
Image3 : Olive Gill-Hille, Haptic, 2023 (detail) © Olive Gill-Hille. Photo:
Simon Hewson
Another amazing Jilamara Fashion show at the Artback NT Milikapiti Festival on the weekend✨✨✨
I was so great to share this project locally in Milikapiti after winning the National Indigenous Fashion Community Collaboration Award (NIFA) at Darwin’s Deckchair Cinema last month. These amazing garments are made for the community at the art centre by local staff using re-instated screen designs from Jilamara’s origins in the mid 1980s as an adult education centre specialising in textile arts. The project is a great celebration of the breadth of amazing work produced by dedicated people at community governed arts organisations like Jilamara!
@artback_nt
#jilamaraarts #artbacknt #tiwiislands #milikapitifestival
“You call us artists, but we are story-tellers and we tell our stories through art.” — Colin-Heenan Puruntatameri
Wurrungura — Jilamara’s digital archive and multimedia project is not just about digitising older images and producing new multimedia artworks, the team have also been working on documenting community stories and developing translations in Tiwi language.
Here the team are in the art centre’s Muluwurri Museum documenting stories and songs in Tiwi language from senior artist Pedro Wonaeamirri for an upcoming publication.
#jilamaraarts #wurrungura #tiwiart #tiwistorytelling
Johnathon Bush current finalist in the Fraser Coast National Art Prize! Congratulations mantani ✨✨✨
ＪＯＨＮＡＴＨＯＮ ＷＯＲＬＤ
ＰＥＡＣＥ ＢＵＳＨ
Finalist - Girra: Fraser Coast National Art Prize 2025
Hervey Bay Regional Gallery
Congratulations and good luck to Johnathon World Peace Bush, who has been selected as one of 16 finalists in the 2025 Girra Prize with his work ‘Burke and Wills’!
At first glance ‘Burke and Wills (statues)’ depicts the first explorers, who in 1861 traversed Australia from the south coast to the Gulf of Carpentaria, as whimsical, even humorous caricatures, but on deeper reflection, they appear as ominous portents of what was to come, heavily defined, embedded, even gouged into a serene backdrop. A far more malevolent force is at play, as these were the first explorers to open up the land to future graziers, foreshadowing calamity that would change the course of history for the First Nations people who had inhabited the land for over 60,000 years.
The 2025 Girra: Fraser Coast National Art Prize exhibition will be held at @herveybayregionalgallery from 23 August to 12 November 2025.
Congratulations to all of the selected finalists:
Lino Ah-Honi | Ariella Anderson | Amanda Bennetts | Jacqueline Bradley | Johnathon World Peace Bush | Shoufay Derz | Christophe Domergue | Claire Ellis | Baylee Griffin | Georgia Hayward | Joseph Williams Jungararyi | Ingvar Kenne | Anna May Kirk | Aaron Perkins | Brian Robinson | Paul Snell
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#thisisnofantasy #johnathonworldpeacebush @thisisnofantasy
Johnathon World Peace Bush, Walking Between Two Worlds, 2025, Frieze No.9 Cork Street, London UK
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Online still open still until tomorrow!
We may have deinstalled both DAAF and the annual Tiwi exhibition at Double Tree Hilton tonight, but for those that could not be in Darwin there’s a few amazing Jilamara carvings and ochre paintings on paper still available through the art fair’s online portal closing tomorrow morning.
@darwinartfair
#darwinaboriginalartfair #daafonline #jilamaraarts #tiwiart
We have had another amazing weekend at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. The fair closes today but there’s still time to look at DAAF online. There’s a great selection of carved birds and paintings on paper available that we can ship next week!
Repost from @darwinartfair
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The legendary Tiwi singers & dancers from Munupi and Jilamara Arts and Crafts have been winning over the crowds once again at the DAAF Sandpit.
Thanks for getting us up for a dance!
2025.daaf.com.au
@munipiarts @jilamaraartsandcrafts
📷 Photos by Dylan Buckee
#DAAF2025 #DARWINARTFAIR
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation’s Public Program is proudly supported by the Northern Territory Government through Northern Territory Major Events Company, Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, Wesfarmers, Agency Projects, premium media partner Peppermint Magazine, and ticketing partner Darwin Fringe Festival.
Last day of the annual Tiwi exhibition at the Double Tree Hilton Darwin Esplanade today!
This great celebration of Tiwi art from Melville Island opened with Tiwi Yoyi (dance) on Friday and closes this afternoon at 5pm. If you are lucky enough to be in Darwin this week come and visit!
Kimirrakinari (the season of smoke) — Jilamara and Munupi Arts, part of the Darwin Festival program.
116 The Esplanade, Darwin City (in the breezeway between Darwin Entertainment Centre and the Hilton)
@darwinfestival
#jilamaraartsandcrafts #tiwiart #darwinfestival
We all had a great time yesterday at the opening of Conrad Tipungwuti’s exhibition at Outstation Gallery’s new space!
Welcome! Outstation Gallery is now open - with its three amazing solo shows from Conrad Tipungwuti Kamilowra, Motorbike Paddy Ngal and Muuki Taylor - and in the windows and at the nearby pop-up is our SALON des Refusés.
What a crowd! Thankyou to everyone who came and helped us celebrate this incredible space and the fabulous artists who bring it alive.
Thank you to @jilamaraartsandcrafts and Conrad for being there tonight - and all the art centres for your support.
What a night!
#outstationgallery #grandopening #launch #love #family #collaboration #tribute #art #aboriginalart #worldclass #darwinwaterfront #northernterritory #darwinaboriginalartfair #darwinfestival #celebrate
An exhibition by CONRAD TIPUNGWUTI KAMILOWRA opening tonight✨✨✨
Conrad is presenting a suite of new works at Outstation Gallery’s amazing new space at Darwin’s Waterfront.
Turtiyanginari amintiya Purrungbarri: Ochre and Stringybark opens tonight at 5pm!
📸 — Conrad standing with a few of his exceptional ochre paintings on bark on Wulirankuwu Country. Image courtesy of the artist and Jilamara Arts. Photo: @willheathcote_art
@outstation_gallery
#conradtipungwutikamilowra #jilamaraarts #jilamaraartsandcrafts #tiwiart
We’re excited to share that Jilamara Arts has been shortlisted for the Community Collaboration Award at the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA) 2025 announced tonight at Darwin’s Deckchair Cinema! This nomination, supported by Canberra Centre @canberracentre acknowledges a community collaboration that celebrates locally designed and made garments for the community in Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands!
For the project Jilamara Arts reinstated 9 screen designs from the art centre’s origins as an adult education centre specialising in textile arts in the 1980s and used these locally screen-printed designs to produce garments made at the art centre and showcased at last year’s Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair ✨✨✨
#NIFA2025 #NIFA #indigenousfashionproject @indigenousfashionprojects @darwinartfair #helenkaminski #gapuwiyak #arhnemland #jilamaraarts
Rising star Barabara Puruntatameri is not only Jilamara’s DAAF feature artist, she is also a first time finalist in the Telstra NATSIA Award — congratulations on a great 2025 mantanga ✨✨✨
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair • @darwinartfair
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✨Barbara Puruntatameri’s stunning piece✨
Barbara has had much success during annual art centre exhibitions and has gained recognition as an artist who uses Tiwi Kayimwagakimi, a carved tool used to apply dots. She learnt how to paint by watching her Grandfather paint at Munupi Arts, and decided to start her journey at Jilamara after her partner Jimmy started painting and making carvings
Discover the vibrant art of @jilamaraartsandcrafts DAAF, 7-10 August 2025! 🎨✨
#FeaturedArtist #JilamaraArts&CultureAssociation #IndigenousArt #ArtExhibitions #DAAF2025 #Aboriginalart
Barbara Puruntatameri, Kayimwagakimi Jilamara, 2024. Locally sourced earth pigments on stringybark, 70 x 48cm. Image courtesy of the Artist and Jilamara Arts.
In town for the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair @darwinartfair? Here are a few more exciting events to add to the diary 🌟
Explore art exhibitions, insightful talks, and exciting award ceremonies featuring Art Centres and artists throughout August.
Be sure to check in on our friends at:
🌟 @agencyprojects
🌟 @garma_festival_official
🌟 @the.nimas
🌟 @mag_nt
🌟 @outstation_gallery
🌟 @salonderefuses_natsiaa
🌟 @darwinfestival
- to name just a few!
#DAAF #DAAF2025 #Darwinartfair #darwin #ntaustralia #whatson #LarrakiaCountry
Jilamara was thrilled to be able to supply a few locally made garments in art centre fabric for this great project with @cassie.black_ for the Tiwi Cultural Festival last weekend — modelled by many great people including Jilamara artists Michelle Woody Minnapinni and Janice Murray ✨✨✨
Repost from @cassie.black_
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Tiwi Cultural Festival 💛🖤🤍
Super proud to have pulled off our first ever Tiwi Fashion Show featuring beautiful designs by Bima Wear, Jilamara Arts & Tiwi Design. So proud of each and every one of our models for walking so proudly and confidently on the runway, young and old they all had it in them ✨
Big love and thanks to my mum for holding it down behind the scenes helping me coordinate everything this weekend—I couldn’t have done it without you!
Glam team @faceby.em , @amybhairdressing & my cousin Maria working alongside @amybhairdressing 💁🏾♀️ thank you for making us look and feel beautiful ✨
Thank you Tiwi Land Council for the opportunity & our Tiwi community for being the best crowd and showing us all love 🥰
And thank you @foxyfilmss for capturing it so beautifully for us 📸⚡️
ＪＯＨＮＡＴＨＯＮ ＷＯＲＬＤ
ＰＥＡＣＥ ＢＵＳＨ • @thisisnofantasy
We’re pleased to announce that Johnathon World Peace Bush’s ‘Let There Be Light’ polyptych has been selected as a finalist in the 47TH WALYALUP FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE PRINT AWARD @fremantleartscentre
Now in its 47th year, the Walyalup | Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award is Australia’s longest-running and most prestigious celebration of contemporary printmaking. The award recognises both established and emerging artists working across the full spectrum of print media—honouring traditional craftsmanship while embracing innovation through digital and cross-disciplinary practices. It consistently attracts entries from across Australia’s urban, regional, and remote communities.
Fremantle Arts Centre
16 AUG — 21 SEP 2025
Congratulations and Good Luck, Johnathon! 🧡✨️
Thank you to @fremantleartscentre, and the judges Hannah Matthews, @jessycahutchens and @t.or.rents
____________________
#thisisnofantasy #johnathonworldpeacebush @jilamaraartsandcrafts #fremantleprintaward
Congratulations to Jilamara’s Kaye Brown and first time finalist Barbara Puruntatameri for being amongst great company in this year’s NATSIA Bark Painting Award ✨✨✨
MAGNT • @mag_nt
Ten artists have been named finalists in the 2025 Telstra Bark Painting Award.
Representing regions across Arnhem Land, the Tiwi Islands and the Kimberley, these artists are continuing one of the oldest artistic traditions in the world.
🖼️ Their works are now on display at MAGNT, Darwin, as part of the 2025 Telstra NATSIAA exhibition.
🎉 The Telstra Bark Painting Award winner will be announced on August 8th at MAGNT along with other major award category winners from 6pm on the MAGNT lawns.
Finalists include:
Barbara Puruntatameri
Graham Tipungwuti
Gutiŋarra Yunupiŋu
Kaye Brown
Lucy Yarawanga
Wayilkpa Maymuru
Yalmakany Marawili
Yinimala Gumana
Angelina Karadada Boona
Obed Namirrkki
#TelstraNATSIAA #MAGNT #BarkPainting #ContemporaryIndigenousArt #FirstNationsArt #AboriginalArt #LarrakiaCountry
@jilamaraartsandcrafts @bukuartnow @maningridaarts @waringarri_arts @ngaruwanajirri
Repost from @unswgalleries
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☀️ This NAIDOC Week, we honour the enduring legacy of the first old ladies of Jilamara Arts, a generation of senior Tiwi women, including Freda Warlapinni, Kitty Kantilla, Maryanne Mungatopi, and Mary Magdalene Tipungwuti, who emerged as foundational figures in the development of Tiwi Art.
By adapting jilamara, the rhythmic mark-making used in ceremonial body design, across painting and printmaking, these artists affirmed Tiwi visual culture and helped bring it national and international prominence.
As we celebrate “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”, we reflect on the strength and cultural knowledge passed down from those who came before.
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Installation view, ‘Parlingarri Amintiya Ningani Awungarra: Old and New at Jilamara Arts’, UNSW Galleries, 2025. Photography: Jacquie Manning
To celebrate NAIDOC week come and see us at the National Indigenous Art Fair this weekend at Circular Quay on Gadagal Country!
🖤💛❤️ Shop ethical, authentic First Nations art
🎶 Experience live music, dance, and cultural performances
🎨 Join exclusive workshops with remote Indigenous artists
🍲 Explore bushfood, handmade goods, and more
Come celebrate culture, creativity, and community by the harbour.
📍 Sydney Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks
📅 [10am-5pm Sat & 10am- 4pm Sun]
#NIAF2025 #IndigenousArtFair #SupportFirstNationsArtists #BlakDesign #CulturalCelebration #TheRocksSydney #jilamaraartsandcrafts #tiwiart
We are supported by
The art centre is the cultural hub of Milikapiti Community, it is also an important place for local school children to learn through culture classes and for many generations of Tiwi people to build bright futures.
