Artiste : Jacinta Lorenzo

Titre de l'œuvre : Jilamara (body paint designs)

Pigments naturels sur toile de lin Belge

Format : 150 × 150 cm

Provenance et certificat : centre d'art aborigène de Jalimara (Tiwi Island)

Référence de la peinture : 179-25

Demander le prix de l'œuvre

© Photo : Aboriginal signature with the courtesy of the artist & Jilamara Art centre (Tiwi Island)

Explications sur cette œuvre :

Jacinta was born in 1958 in Darwin but has lived in Milikapiti on the island for many years.
Her work has been described by other Tiwi people as similar to old Tiwi patterns or jilamara (design). Jacinta feels that culture is very important particularly for the younger generations. She has 3 children who have given her 18 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Jacinta has been a member of Jilamara Arts for many years and has represented the organisation in group exhibitions since 1996.

The term jilamara in Tiwi language actually describes the ac􀆟on of painting, but is also used to describe designs in locally sourced ochres. Many of these designs are originally drawn from elaborate ochre body painting applied to the face and bodies of family and dancers during the Pukumani (mourning) and Kulama (coming-of-age/yam) ceremonies. In Pukumani ceremonies it is believed the jilamara disguise the immediate family from the spirit of the dead, leading to very elaborate compositions on the body. In these ceremonies similar designs are also applied to the tutini ( carved ironwood Pukumani poles) and tunga (bark bags) which can form central parts of the ceremony. An individual design and aesthetic is highly valued by Tiwi artists and is representative of their personal interpretation of their family's Tiwi design or jilamara.