KUTUWULUMI PURAWARRUMPATU (KITTY KANTILLA), Untitled, 1982

KUTUWULUMI PURAWARRUMPATU (KITTY KANTILLA) Tiwi language, c.1928 - 2003 Untitled, 1982 ochre on bark 59 x 30 cm; 74 x 53.5 cm (framed) Tiwi Pima Art label attached verso: Bark Painting by Kitty Kantilla d.1568 PROVENANCE The Artist, created on Yermalner, Melville Island, Northern Territory Tiwi Pima Art, Northern Territory, Cat No. D.1568 D'Lan Galleries, Victoria Private Collection, Queensland Kutuwulumi Purawarrumpatu (Kitty Kantilla)'s art, like all Tiwi art, is grounded in the intricate body painting traditions of the Pukumani ceremony. What elevates her work-and that of her generation-to such significance is the profound connection to these ancient designs, many of which have been largely lost since the missionary era. Kutuwulumi Purawarrumpatu was among the last to inherit these designs in their entirety, preserving a vital cultural legacy through her art. A seemingly abstract iconography lies at the heart of her practice. Far from being non-representational, the varied combinations of dots, lines, and blocks of colour, known as jilamara (design), evoke elements of ritual and reflect the essence of her Tiwi identity. Like other Tiwi artists, Kutuwulumi Purawarrumpatu gained her artistic knowledge in ceremonial contexts before going on to express her individuality by carving and painting objects associated with the Pukumani (mourning) ceremony. Her artworks, regardless of medium, are always tied to the foundational Tiwi creation narrative, in which Bima, the wife of Purukapali, makes love to her brother-in-law while her son Jinani, left lying in the sun, dies of exposure. In his grief and rage, Purukapali declares that death will come to all people. After Bima is transformed into a night curlew, Purukapali conducts the first mourning ceremony for his son, establishing the Pukumani ceremony that continues today. © KITTY KANTILLA / Copyright Agency, 2026

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