Tiwi Design.
view larger image
Name
Tiwi Design.
Culture
Aboriginal Australian
Type
Organisation
Start date
1969
Start place
Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu), Bathurst Island, Northern Territory, Australia View on map Close map
Occupations
Decorative / design artist | Print workshop
Summary
Located: Australia (NT) Woodcuts, Screenprints
NGA IRN
24424
Context
Australia
See also
Bede TUNGUTALUM; Giovanni TIPUNGWUTI
Biography
Tiwi Designs
The Tiwi Aboriginal people live on Bathurst Island, approximately 100 Km across the Apsley Straits from Darwin. Bede Tungutalum and Giovanni Tipungwuti started Tiwi Designs in 1969, beginning with wood block prints, and progressing to screen printed fabrics. In 1983 their fabrics were exhibited at the Hogarth Galleries in Sydney with assistance from Coo-ee Emporium, now their major distributer.
The Tiwi Aboriginal people live on Bathurst Island, approximately 100 Km across the Apsley Straits from Darwin. Bede Tungutalum and Giovanni Tipungwuti started Tiwi Designs in 1969, beginning with wood block prints, and progressing to screen printed fabrics. In 1983 their fabrics were exhibited at the Hogarth Galleries in Sydney with assistance from Coo-ee Emporium, now their major distributer.
The group now works out of a spacious and well organised building which includes a shop catering to tourists. About eight artists produce lengths of fabric, T-shirts, singlets tablecloths, sarongs, wall hangings and greeting cards. So far one hundred and twenty designs have been produced, based on the Tiwi Dreaming stories, their lifestyle, landscape, sea life, flora and fauna. Many of the designs are symbolic, based on the Tiwi myths and legends.
Kathy Barnes was employed to teach batik, and was the co-ordinator on Bathurst Island in 1987. She had previously been developing the batik industry at Utopia during 1985- 87. Exhibitions of the Tiwi women artist's work was held in 1989 in Darwin and Fremantle.
© ada 1989