Jilamar Arts, where Conrad Tipungwuti creates his artworks, states: “Conrad Tipungwuti has been painting and creating limited edition prints at Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association since the late 1990’s. Alongside Timothy Cook, Conrad is part of the Ngawa Mantawi (all of us together) program at Jilamara – a program that supports artists with special needs to have successful careers in the arts while remaining close to family and Country.
Conrad grew up in the “old camp” at Pirlangimpi (Garden Point) with his parents. While it no longer exists, the old camp is spoken about as a community of wulimawi (the old people) and Conrad was raised surrounded by strong culture and regular ceremonies. His Tiwi name is Kamilowra and this was given to him by the famous artist Cornelia Tipuamantumirri’s late husband Steven Tipuamantumirri. After his parents passed away, he moved to Nguiu and then Milikapiti to live with his aunt and uncle. They lived next door to Jilamara Arts and Conrad joined the art centre soon after.
Conrad paints using ochres or earth pigments sourced from around Milikapiti. The over-arching themes of his work depict the wet season Pakatiringa (rain) and the Kulama initiation ceremony. This is represented by large concentric circles that refer both to the yams prepared during the ceremony and large rings that appear around the moon in late wet season signifying the beginning of the Kulama season.
Seva Frangos Art in Perth wrote in their book on Conrad: “I saw ceremony funerals here at Milikapiti. My painting is coming from ceremony I saw here. I like to go bush, help get buffalo meat, cook with fire on coals – smokey!”
Conrad Tipungwuti has been painting and creating prints at Jilamara since the late 1990’s, he now lives with aged care on Bathurst Island.
He has matured as an artist and developed a practice which displays unique characteristics – his work is full of expression and has a freshness and energy. His work embodies the sheer enjoyment of the very act of painting.
Conrad is a shy, traditional Tiwi man. He spends long periods outside at night, walking the community and the surrounding bush and shore. The over-riding themes of his work depicts the late wet season Pakitiringa and “Kulama” initiation ceremony, celebrated when the sacred yams are ripe.
As with all artists from Jilamara Art Centre Conrad paints with natural ochres which are collected from around the community. Source: Jilamara Art Centre
Conrad Tipungwuti was born in his home country of Ranku on Melville Island. Tipungwuti’s painting reflects the influence of Tiwi cultural tradition. His painting focuses Tapara, the moon man and the late wet season Kulama initiation ceremony, celebrated when the sacred yams become ripe on the island. In 2013, he was a finalist in the Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
Tipungwuti’s Skin group is Arrinkuwunila (stone)
Dance: Tarranigi (buffalo)
Solo Exhibitions
2012 Conrad Tipungwuti – Chasing Dots – Seva Frangos Art, Perth, WA
2013 Aboriginal and Pacific art, Sydney, NSW
Group Exhibitions
1997 Old Patterns Framed Gallery Darwin NT
1997 Old Tiwi. Alcaston House Gallery Melbourne, Vic
1997 Kartukuni Amintiya Jurra (Ironwood and Paper) Hogarth Gallery, Paddington NSW
1998 The Old and the New, Gallery Gondwana Alice Springs NT
1998 Ngawa Mantawi Mossenson Gallery Subiaco WA 1998 Group exhibition Alcaston House, Melbourne, Vic
1998 Jilamara Mossenson Gallery, Subiaco WA
1999 All About Art, Alcaston Gallery, Canberra, ACT
1999 Tiwi on Wood, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
1999 New Paintings from Milikapiti, Redback Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
1999 Art of the Tiwi Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
2000 Ngawiyati Mgapamurrumi – We Work Together Textiles show at Craft Victoria, Melbourne, Vic
2001 Jilamara Jilamara Framed Gallery, Darwin, NT
2001 Island Images Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne, Vic
2002 Pwoja Jilamara Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
2003 Let’s Keep Our Art Strong: Recent works from the Jilamara Artists, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
2005 Yirrarra – Kulama amintiya Pukumani, Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne, Vic
2006 Nginingaji ngawula kurrupuranji Jilamara, RAFT Artspace, Darwin, NT
2006 Yirrajirrima murrakupuni ngawurraningimarri, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin, NT
2006 Jilamara: new etchings from Melville Island, Northern Editions, Darwin, NT
2006 Jilamara: new etchings from Melville Island, Northern Editions, Alison Kelly Gallery Melbourne, Vic
2006 Jilamara works on paper, Sofitel, Melbourne, Vic
2007 Red, Yellow, Black, White, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
2007 Earth on Paper 1, Seva Frangos Art, Perth, WA
2008 Yimwarlini, Raft Art Space, Darwin, NT
2009 Earth on Paper 2, Seva Frangos Art, Perth, WA
2009 Mukumuwu, To Be Together, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin, NT
2009 Wulikija Jilamara, Northern Editions, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT
Source: Seva Frangos Art, Western Australia