ReDot Fine Art Gallery is extremely honoured to be hosting the first ever exhibition of works from acclaimed Tiwi Island community, Munupi Arts & Crafts in our inaugural show of 2017. It brings together 34 exceptional recent works, meticulously curated over the last 24 months, by some of the community’s most collectable and newly emerging talents.

Kiripapuranjuwi (Skilful Hands) is the daring first step into the Asian contemporary art scene and will be a refreshing look at the usage of natural ochres combined with synthetic acrylic paints to represent motifs and designs sacred to the Tiwi Islanders, who have traditionally painted their bodies for ceremonies using natural earth pigments for centuries. This tradition of mark making is the foundation for this modern Tiwi art as ceremonies continue to play a pivotal role in Tiwi culture.

Each painting confidently transfers to the viewer a statement of Island life or ceremonial requirement using elegant traditional techniques which are married harmoniously with simplistic and fresh modern designs to give the recipient a meaningful understanding of one of the planets oldest living cultures. Subdued in their aesthetic appearance, due to the nature of the medium, each and every work is a bold rejoicing and triumphant statement about the strength of modern Indigenous culture, which for many years seemed destined to become extinct, is now stronger than ever before.

Be mesmerised by the detailed and powerful dotted oeuvres of mother-daughter doyennes Cornelia and Delores, carrying this remarkable community forward into the next stage of its development, alongside other significant works by 13 female artists of varied ages and artistic prowess – each in their own way commanding respect and attention for their commitment in transferring cultural knowledge to the outside world.

"For Tiwi people, to sing is to dance is to paint."
Judith Ryan, Curator – National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 1997

The exhibition begins on Wednesday 8 February and runs until Saturday 4 March 2017 and will be attended in person by Maria Josette Orsto and Paulina (Jedda) Puruntatameri, in what will be their first ever trip to Singapore. A must-see show for anyone interested in following the recent developments in Indigenous Art and an opportunity to meet these beautiful and talented proponents of one of the world’s oldest art forms as they share their ancestral heritage with us through their paintings and story-telling.