31 Tiwi Islands art, NT
rt runs through the heart of the Tiwi Islands, just like the Apsley Strait that cleaves the verdant landmass in two. The strength of culture here is especially apparent when visiting one of the many art centres scattered across the islands. At an art centre (such as Jilamara Aboriginal Arts and Crafts), you’ll see artists carving, painting and creating works in the distinctive Tiwi style, characterised by the mesmerising technique of crosshatched brushstrokes and geometric shapes. You’ll find walls decorated with art, bark serving as the canvas and natural ochre pigment as the paint. Sculptures are elaborately carved from ironwood, often depicting birds, as are tutuni (funerary totem poles) that adorn burial sites
