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Yoi: An exhibition of works from the Munupi Arts & Crafts Association

Past exhibition
21 February - 13 April 2024
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  • Overview
  • Selected Works
  • Press
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Yoi: An exhibition of works from the Munupi Arts & Crafts Association

Past exhibition
21 February - 13 April 2024
  • Images
  • Overview
  • Selected Works
  • Press
Images
Overview
Josephine Burak (Bino), 'Milimika III', 2023, ochre on canvas, 120cm x 80cm. Image courtesy of Studio Adamson..
Josephine Burak (Bino), 'Milimika III', 2023, ochre on canvas, 120cm x 80cm. Image courtesy of Studio Adamson..

"In 2017, I travelled to the Tiwi Islands, where I first saw the work of many of the exhibiting artists. Their paintings, and the landscapes that inspired them, left an indelible impression on me. Though intricately constructed, these works possess an irrepressible power. They are tender, yet bold, a sublime accumulation of subtle interconnections."

 

- Jennifer Guerrini Maraldi (Director of JGM Gallery)
 

JGM Gallery presents Yoi, an exhibition of works from the Munupi Arts & Crafts Association, located along Melville Island’s north-western coastline, north of Darwin.

 

Featured are paintings by nine Munupi artists, each characterised and aligned by the expressive marks they employ. Often painted with natural ochres and a Pwoja Comb, these canvases possess a unique textural materiality. At first glance, they are seemingly asemic in appearance. For example, Alison Puruntatameri’s Winga, meaning Tidal Movement or Waves, alludes to the rhythmic movement of the natural world. The result, free from a mimetic representation of reality, is inherently abstract in form.

 

This expression of gestural energy offers a unique insight into the movement of the artist and, by extension, the human presence, out of which art emerges; the artist’s mark carries the testimony of its author and thus the identity of the artist themself.

 

Delving deeper into the mark-making techniques of Tiwi Art, one finds that they emanate a distinctly spiritual presence. Dancing, or yoi, plays a large part of life on the Tiwi Islands. Depictions of concentric circular motifs, as featured in Josephine Burak’s Milimika, outline the ceremonial dancing ground. Narrative dances are a key feature of ritual activity. They can depict both everyday life and historically significant events. During these dances, the participants paint their bodies with natural ochres, using designs that also appear on the canvases in Yoi. Once again, this brings into direct dialogue, movement and narrative, the body and language. In the words of Judith Ryan (Art and Australia, 1997): “For Tiwi people, to sing is to dance is to paint.” 

 

The paintings in this exhibition all share a common thread. In Tiwi culture, dance is established as corporeal communication. In a somewhat parallel motion, the canvases display gesture. Contrary to the venture of many Western painters, the finished product invites the viewer to savour and enjoy the movement which led to the artwork's creation. 

 

Exhibiting artists include: Alison Puruntatameri | Arthur John Cowell | Carol Puruntatameri | Christine Puruntatameri | Delores Tipuamantumirri | Dorothy Noni Poantimului | Josephine Burak | Lucinda Puruntatameri | Simplicia Tipungwuti.

The Opening Reception will be held on Wednesday, 28 February, 6:00pm - 8:00pm.

 

For further information, press enquiries, or to RSVP, please contact the gallery at info@jgmgallery.com.

 

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Selected Works
  • Josephine Burak Milimika II, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 120cm x 80cm
    Josephine Burak
    Milimika II, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    120cm x 80cm
  • Josephine Burak Milimika I, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 150cm x 80cm
    Josephine Burak
    Milimika I, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    150cm x 80cm
  • Arthur John Cowell Pupuni Jilamara, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 120cm x 80cm
    Arthur John Cowell
    Pupuni Jilamara, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    120cm x 80cm
  • Alison Puruntatameri 120cm x 80cmWinga (Tidal Movement / Waves), 2020 Ochre on Linen 120cm x 80cm
    Alison Puruntatameri
    120cm x 80cm
    Winga (Tidal Movement / Waves), 2020
    Ochre on Linen
    120cm x 80cm
  • Delores Tipuamantumirri Banapa, 2021 Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Delores Tipuamantumirri
    Banapa, 2021
    Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Carol Puruntatameri Yipali and Purrukupali, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Carol Puruntatameri
    Yipali and Purrukupali, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Lucinda Puruntatameri Pupuni Jilamara I, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 120cm x 80cm
    Lucinda Puruntatameri
    Pupuni Jilamara I, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    120cm x 80cm
  • Christine Puruntatameri Pwonga, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Christine Puruntatameri
    Pwonga, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Simplicia Tipungwuti Murtangkala II, 2023 Natural Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Simplicia Tipungwuti
    Murtangkala II, 2023
    Natural Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Delores Tipuamantumirri, Winga (Tidal Movement/Waves), 2021
    Delores Tipuamantumirri, Winga (Tidal Movement/Waves), 2021
  • Dorothy Noni Poantimului Pupuni Jilamara, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 100cm x 100cm
    Dorothy Noni Poantimului
    Pupuni Jilamara, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    100cm x 100cm
  • Christine Puruntatameri Woven Mats, 2021 Natural Ochre on Arches Paper 71cm x 51cm (unframed)
    Christine Puruntatameri
    Woven Mats, 2021
    Natural Ochre on Arches Paper
    71cm x 51cm (unframed)
  • Josephine Burak Milimika II, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 120cm x 80cm
    Josephine Burak
    Milimika II, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    120cm x 80cm
  • Josephine Burak Milimika I, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 150cm x 80cm
    Josephine Burak
    Milimika I, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    150cm x 80cm
  • Arthur John Cowell Pupuni Jilamara, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 120cm x 80cm
    Arthur John Cowell
    Pupuni Jilamara, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    120cm x 80cm
  • Alison Puruntatameri 120cm x 80cmWinga (Tidal Movement / Waves), 2020 Ochre on Linen 120cm x 80cm
    Alison Puruntatameri
    120cm x 80cm
    Winga (Tidal Movement / Waves), 2020
    Ochre on Linen
    120cm x 80cm
  • Delores Tipuamantumirri Banapa, 2021 Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Delores Tipuamantumirri
    Banapa, 2021
    Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Carol Puruntatameri Yipali and Purrukupali, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Carol Puruntatameri
    Yipali and Purrukupali, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Lucinda Puruntatameri Pupuni Jilamara I, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 120cm x 80cm
    Lucinda Puruntatameri
    Pupuni Jilamara I, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    120cm x 80cm
  • Christine Puruntatameri Pwonga, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Christine Puruntatameri
    Pwonga, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Simplicia Tipungwuti Murtangkala II, 2023 Natural Ochre on Canvas 180cm x 120cm
    Simplicia Tipungwuti
    Murtangkala II, 2023
    Natural Ochre on Canvas
    180cm x 120cm
  • Delores Tipuamantumirri, Winga (Tidal Movement/Waves), 2021
    Delores Tipuamantumirri, Winga (Tidal Movement/Waves), 2021
  • Dorothy Noni Poantimului Pupuni Jilamara, 2023 Ochre on Canvas 100cm x 100cm
    Dorothy Noni Poantimului
    Pupuni Jilamara, 2023
    Ochre on Canvas
    100cm x 100cm
  • Christine Puruntatameri Woven Mats, 2021 Natural Ochre on Arches Paper 71cm x 51cm (unframed)
    Christine Puruntatameri
    Woven Mats, 2021
    Natural Ochre on Arches Paper
    71cm x 51cm (unframed)
Press
  • The Standard

    The best exhibitions this week in London, including 'Yoi' at Saatchi Gallery
    Elizabeth Gregory, August 14, 2024
  • Fanza

    AUSTRALIAN EXHIBITION YOI TRANSFERS TO SAATCHI GALLERY
    June 26, 2024
  • Eye On London

    Featuring 'Yoi'
    Anthony J. Lester , March 19, 2024
    This link opens in a new tab.
  • The Standard

    The best exhibitions this week in London, including 'Yoi' at Saatchi Gallery
    Elizabeth Gregory, August 14, 2024
  • Fanza

    AUSTRALIAN EXHIBITION YOI TRANSFERS TO SAATCHI GALLERY
    June 26, 2024
  • Eye On London

    Featuring 'Yoi'
    Anthony J. Lester , March 19, 2024
    This link opens in a new tab.
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