Kitty Kantilla (Kutuwalumi Parawarrumpatu)

A seemingly abstract iconography lies at the heart of Kitty Kantilla’s art. Far from being non-representational, however, the different combinations of dots, lines and blocks of colour called jilamara (design) together invoke inside elements of ritual and reveal the essence of Kantilla’s cultural identity. Like other Tiwi artists, Kantilla gained the stuff of her artmaking in ceremonial contexts, before learning to express her individuality by carving and painting objects for the Pukumani (mourning) ceremony. In explaining her work, the artist says, "The jilamara that I do, it’s my father’s design. I watched him as a young girl and I’ve still got the design in my head."

Judith Ryan
Senior Curator, Indigenous Art, National Gallery of Victoria
Excerpt from exhibition catalogue

Kitty Kantilla (Kutuwalumi Parawarrumpatu)
Tiwi born c. 1928
Pumpuni jilamara, 2002
earth pigment on canvas
71.0 x 120.0 cm
Private collection