- Title: Jirtaka (saw fish)
- Artist: Jean Baptiste Apuatimi (dec)
- Region: Tiwi Islands
- Art Centre: Tiwi Design
- Medium: Silkscreen
- Collection: Custodians
- Dimensions: 50 x 39 cm
- Edition Size: 40
- Price ($AUD): $ 1200.00
Artwork Story
‘I was born at Pirlangimpi. My country is Imalu, from my father’s country, and that’s my husband’s country too. My mother and father gave me to marry Declan Karrilikiya Apuatimi. Declan was doing all the painting and carving then. I used to help him. He tell us stories and sang songs in Tiwi language. I am the only one that knows those songs now.
For Custodians I chose to do Jirtaka, lovely tucker. My husband used to get that fish. After we eat it we get that bone and paint him up. First black, then Jilamara (body paint design). When he die they paint up that bone for ceremony. When I paint that I think of him.’