Artist: Mary Elizabeth Moreen | Title: Jaliwaki (Bush Potato) | Year: 2021 | Medium: ochre on canvas | Dimensions: 45 x 45 cm
PROVENANCE
Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, Cat No. 14-21
ARTWORK STORY
Jaliwaki (Bush Potato) is a very large edible yam. The flesh is purple, yellow or white, it is found on Melville Island around Paru and Pirlangimpi.
Artist Profile
COMMUNITY/REGION
Tiwi Islands, NT
LANGUAGE
Tiwi
BIOGRAPHY
At a young age, Mary was sent to the mission on Bathurst Island for her education, where she learned only in English. It wasn’t until she returned to Milikapiti on Melville Island at 18 that she reconnected with her Tiwi heritage and family. Initially under the impression that her parents had died, Mary experienced a profound awakening when her father introduced her to a Kulama (Coming of Age) ceremony. Her parents, Ally and Polly Miller—esteemed cultural elders and ceremonial leaders—guided her in learning the Tiwi language, understanding the song-lines, and practicing traditional skills such as pandanus carving and weaving for ceremonial ornaments.
Today, Mary is a Traditional Land-Owner of Milikapiti and the surrounding region of Karslake in Wulirankuwu Country. Her artwork, which uses locally sourced ochres on paper, canvas, and bark, as well as pandanus weaving, reflects a deep connection to both tradition and the natural environment. Fluent in hard Tiwi, she is committed to preserving and passing on the traditions and knowledge of the Tiwi Islands to future generations.
REFERENCES
“Mary Elizabeth Moreen.” Jilamara, n.d., https://jilamara.com/artist/mary-elizabeth-moreen/.
PROVENANCE
Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, Cat No. 14-21
ARTWORK STORY
Jaliwaki (Bush Potato) is a very large edible yam. The flesh is purple, yellow or white, it is found on Melville Island around Paru and Pirlangimpi.
Artist Profile
COMMUNITY/REGION
Tiwi Islands, NT
LANGUAGE
Tiwi
BIOGRAPHY
At a young age, Mary was sent to the mission on Bathurst Island for her education, where she learned only in English. It wasn’t until she returned to Milikapiti on Melville Island at 18 that she reconnected with her Tiwi heritage and family. Initially under the impression that her parents had died, Mary experienced a profound awakening when her father introduced her to a Kulama (Coming of Age) ceremony. Her parents, Ally and Polly Miller—esteemed cultural elders and ceremonial leaders—guided her in learning the Tiwi language, understanding the song-lines, and practicing traditional skills such as pandanus carving and weaving for ceremonial ornaments.
Today, Mary is a Traditional Land-Owner of Milikapiti and the surrounding region of Karslake in Wulirankuwu Country. Her artwork, which uses locally sourced ochres on paper, canvas, and bark, as well as pandanus weaving, reflects a deep connection to both tradition and the natural environment. Fluent in hard Tiwi, she is committed to preserving and passing on the traditions and knowledge of the Tiwi Islands to future generations.
REFERENCES
“Mary Elizabeth Moreen.” Jilamara, n.d., https://jilamara.com/artist/mary-elizabeth-moreen/.