Tiwi Designs facts for kids
Tiwi Designs (also known as Tiwi Designs Aboriginal Corporation) is a special place where Aboriginal art is made. It is located in a town called Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island. This island is one of the Tiwi Islands, which are north of Darwin, Australia.
Tiwi Designs is very important in the world of modern Aboriginal art. It is one of the oldest art centres of its kind. It started small, making screen prints in 1968 or 1969. Only Ernabella Arts, which began in 1948, has been around longer.
How Tiwi Designs Started
Tiwi Designs began by making art using woodblock prints. This happened in a small room in Nguiu in 1968. Young artists named Bede Tungatalum and Giovanni Tipungwuti created these first artworks. They got help from Madeline Clear, who was the local art teacher.
By 1969, these designs were being put onto silkscreens. Silkscreen printing is still a main way Tiwi artists create their designs today. The art centre officially became a formal group, or "association," in 1980.
Sharing Tiwi Art with the World
Tiwi Designs had its very first art show in 1971. This exhibition was held at the Sebert Gallery in Sydney. Another important show happened in Sydney in 1980, at the Hogarth Galleries.
This 1980 exhibition was a big success! It was featured in famous places like Vogue magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, and the ABC evening news. After this show, many documentaries were made about the Tiwi Islands. A company called Tiwi Tours also started. The money Tiwi Designs earned grew a lot, from about $30,000 to $300,000 each year.
Artworks Made Today
Today, the art centre creates many different types of art. They still make screen printed fabrics. They also paint with ochre (natural earth pigments) on bark and canvas.
Artists at Tiwi Designs carve sculptures from ironwood. They also make beautiful ceramics, bronze and glass sculptures, and special limited edition prints.
