Lidwina (Nina) Tepomitari Puruntatameri / Kulama Design (25-268)

Artwork is accompanied by Munupi Artists Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance

DOB: 24/09/1971
Skin: March Fly
Dreaming: Kirilima (Jungle Fowl)
Language Group: Tiwi

Lidwina (Nina) Tepomitari Puruntatameri began learning the foundations of her art practice as a young teenager, painting spears alongside her father, Romuald Puruntatameri. These early years fostered her skills in both design and technique, setting the stage for a lifelong dedication to Tiwi art.

Over the years, Nina has worked across a rich range of mediums — bark painting, screen printing, hand‑painted linen, etchings and linocuts. Her talent in printmaking was recognised at a national level when she received the Award for New Medium at the 1993 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in Darwin.

Artistic ability runs deep in her family. Her father is represented in the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, while her grandfather Paddy Teeampi Tepomitari Puruntatameri and aunt Rosina Puantulura — both acclaimed carvers — are represented in the Melbourne Museum collection.

Today, Nina’s own work is held in major public and private collections throughout Australia and internationally.

Selected Solo Exhibitions
• 2007 – Nina Puruntatameri: New Works, Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT
• 2005 – Mipura Kirimi (Body Painting Designs), Raft Artspace, Darwin, NT

Selected Group Exhibitions
• 2021 – Yirrinkirripwoja Jilamara, Hilton DoubleTree, Darwin
• 2020 – Tiwi, Ian Potter Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
• 2020 – Awurankini Jana Yimaninmarrampilya Ngana, Hilton DoubleTree, Darwin
• 2020 – Tiwi Islands to Arnhemland – Munupi/Maningrida, Artitja Fine Art Gallery, South Fremantle, WA
• 2019 – Pupini Jilamara Nginingwula (Our Beautiful Paintings), Hilton DoubleTree
• 2018 – Nginingawula Awirankiniwaki, Hilton DoubleTree
• 2018 – One Island One Side, Yati Ratuwati Yatuwati, Art Aborigène des Îles Tiwi
• 2017 – Aboriginal Signature, Brussels, Belgium
• 2017 – Yrringinkirri Pwoja, Hilton DoubleTree, Darwin
• 2017 – Kiripapuranjuwi (Skilled Hands), Red Dot Fine Art Gallery, Singapore
• 2017 – Earth Matters, FORM: The Goods Shed, Claremont
• 2015 – Being Tiwi, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
• 2015 – Ngawa Munupula / Ngawa Kiripapiranjuwi, Outstation Art, Darwin
• 2014 – Ngawarraykiyama Najngawula: Stronger Together, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
• 2014 – We Are Tiwi, Artitja Fine Art, Fremantle
• 2014 – The Tiwi: Art from Jilamara & Munupi Art Centres, Kluge‑Ruhe, Virginia, USA
• 2013 – Tiwi Exhibition, Framed Gallery, Darwin
• 2013 – Nga-wuja Arungwapi: We Are Going Forward, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
• 2013 – Nginingawula Munupi Jilamara: Our Paintings, Marshall Arts, SA
• 2012 – Tiwi Tradition – Munupi Artists, Artitja Fine Art, Fremantle
• 2012 – Parlini Amintiya Awirankini, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
• 2012 – Salt of the Earth, Salt Contemporary, Queenscliff
• 2011 – Nginingawila Kurrujipini (Our Colour), Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
• 2011 – New Work from the Tiwi Islands, Art Equity, Sydney
• 2011 – Tiwi Temptations, Art Mob, Hobart
• 2011 – Tiwi Island Art, Aranda Aboriginal Art, Melbourne
• 2011 – We Paint the Stories of Our Culture, University of Oslo, Norway
• 2011 – Masterstroke, Harvison Gallery, Perth
• 2011 – Munupi Artists of Melville Island, Artitja Fine Art, Fremantle
• 2011 – Nina Puruntatameri & Susan Wanji Wanji, Aboriginal Pacific Art, Sydney
• 2011 – Tiwi Island – Ochre on Paper, Nomad Gallery, Canberra
• 2010 – Tiwi Shima, Northern Editions, Darwin
• 2010 – A 9×12” Coo‑ee Christmas, Coo-ee Gallery, Sydney
• 2010 – Aramini, National Art School Gallery, Sydney
• 2010 – Munupi Arts, Qdos Gallery, Lorne
• 2010 – Munupi Medley, Art Mob, Hobart
• 2010 – Kumunupanari – Season of Smoke, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
• 2010 – Treading Lightly, Tali Gallery, Sydney
• 2010 – Munupi Arts, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney
• 2010 – Mukumuwu – To Be Together, Darwin
• 2008 – Ignite: St Ignatius Art Show, Adelaide
• 2008 – Yirrajirrima Murakupuni Nginingaji Ngawila Pumpuni Jilamara, Darwin
• 2007 – Nga-wuja Arungwapi – We Are Going Forward, Tiwi Art Network, Darwin
• 2006 – Aboriginal Print Makers, Framed, Darwin
• 2005 – Munupi Arts Show, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne
• 2005 – Pukupunawu Bandigan, Woollahra
• 2003 – Tokwapi (Everything) Tiwi, Art Mob, Hobart
• 2000 – Takwani Munupi – Everything Munupi, Indigenart, Fremantle
• 2000 – Tiwi Traditional and Contemporary Art, Griffith Gallery, Canberra
• 1998 – United Nations Exhibition, Geneva
• 1997 – Indigenart Exhibition, Singapore
• 1996 – Munupi Tiwi Exhibition, Hong Kong
• 1994 – Epama Epam – Everything Has Meaning, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada
• 1993 – New Tracks, Old Land – Aboriginal Prints, USA & Australia tour
• 1993 – Kerava Art Museum & Rovaniemi Art Museum, Finland
• 1992 – Alliance Française, Canberra
• 1992 – Australian Embassy, Paris

Selected Collections
• National Gallery of Victoria
• Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
• Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
• Artbank
• Melbourne Museum
• Levi‑Kaplan Collection, Seattle
• University of Oslo, Norway
• Kerava & Rovaniemi Museums, Finland
• Flinders University, Adelaide
• Australian Embassy, Paris
• Gifu Museum, Japan
• Macquarie Bank Collection

Awards and Achievements
• 2013 – Preselected, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), Darwin
• 2013 – The Wandjuk Marika Memorial Award, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Darwin
• 2012 – Featured in: TIWI: Art / History / Culture, Jennifer Isaacs, The Miegunyah Press
• 2008 – Preselected, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), Darwin
• 2008 – Togart Contemporary Art Award, Darwin
• 2007 – Preselected, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), Darwin
• 1995 – Selected, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
• 1994 – Selected, Nemarluk Exhibition – Selection of the Best, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
• 1994 – Selected, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
• 1993 – Winner, National Aboriginal Art Award (Prints), Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
• 1993 – Selected, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
• 1993 – Selected, New Tracks, Old Land – Aboriginal Prints Touring Exhibition (Australia & USA)

The Kulama design depicts this important ceremony of the Tiwi people; the dancers and singers create a circle and prepare the poisonous yam for eating, as indicated by the circles in the painting.

The Kulama ceremony was given to the Tiwi people by the Nyingawi, who are little spirit people (as depicted in Tiwi mythology). It is a celebration of life and food, occurring at the end of the wet season.

The Tiwi know when to perform Kulama when the last full moon of the wet season has a yellow halo surrounding it, which tells them that Japarra (the moon man) is ready for it to begin.