The Language of Jilamara

Presented in conjunction with Timothy Cook’s first solo exhibition in the United States, Kurluwukari, opening at D’Lan Galleries New York in September 2026, this special event brings together artists and cultural leaders from Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association in Milikapiti on Melville Island.

Colin Heenan-Puruntatameri will be joined by Timothy’s grandson, Wally Brooks, as well as Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association’s Manager, Will Heathcote for a conversation on Tiwi art, ceremony and the living practices of Jilamara.

The discussion will introduce Jilamara’s distinctive art centre model and the cultural knowledge embedded in Tiwi making practices, from locally sourced ochres and bark preparation to the ceremonial design language of circles, dots and ochre lines that moves across body, bark, tutini, tunga, canvas and linen. It will also reflect on the growing presence of Tiwi art in private and public collections throughout the United States.

The event follows Pedro Wonaeamirri’s recent engagement with the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at the University of Virginia, the only museum in the United States dedicated to Indigenous Australian art, where his work, voice and performance have contributed to a deeper understanding of Tiwi cultural practice among American audiences.