Alison Puruntatameri

Alison Puruntatameri paints using natural ochres that she mixes and applies using a pwoja, the traditional Tiwi comb-like painting tool. She took up painting at the suggestion of her grandfather, Justin Puruntatameri (deceased), a senior law man and artist. He knew all the old songs and told stories of visits to the Tiwi Islands by Macassan fishermen from across the sea. She would listen to his stories of his paintings at Munupi Art Centre and on Country.

This painting depicts the tidal movement of waters in and around the seas and creeks of the Tiwi Islands. The movement of water influences fishing and hunting opportunities while also transforming the land by changing the coastal topography. Tidal surges are at their most powerful during king tides in the wet season. Puruntatameri has a strong bond to the waters surrounding the Tiwi Islands, forged by a lifetime encircled by the Arafura Sea.