Jean Baptiste Apuatimi
Jean Baptiste Apuatimi painting at Tiwi Design Aboriginal Corporation
- Date of Birth: 24th June 1940, Pirlangimpi, Melville Island
- Skin Group/Dance: Buffalo
Jean Baptiste Apuatimi is one of the most senior and renowned artists on the Tiwi Islands. Her late husband Declan Apuatimi, a famous carver and painter during his lifetime, taught Jean to paint in order to carry on the tradition of depicting designs associated with important ceremonies and Tiwi culture.
Jean and Declan passed on their artistic talent to daughters Maria Josette Orsto, Carmelina Puanttalura (deceased), their son Declan Apuatimi and granddaughter Natalie Puantalura.
Jean has lived at Nguiu, Bathurst Island for the majority of her life, she began working as an artist at Tiwi Design Aboriginal Corporation in 1997. Jean’s paintings depict Jilamara (body paint designs), tutini (ceremony pole), old tunga (bark baskets), pamijimi (arm band), japarrunga (double forked digging stick for kulama yam) and jikapayinga (female freshwater crocodile).
Jean’s style of painting is innovative and striking. Her complex designs and unique compositions have enabled her to achieved great recognition in the art world as both an abstract painter and custodian of Tiwi culture. In 2007, Jean was included in the inaugural National Indigenous Art Triennial exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Australia, “Culture Warriors.”
“I love my painting, I love doing it. my husband Decaln Apuatimi taught me to paint. The designs are ones he taught me - he said ‘one day you will be an artist, you will take my place’. Now I am doing that. Painting makes me alive.”
Jean Baptiste Apuatimi
Major Collections
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Artbank, Sydney
Charles Darwin University
Kelton Foundation, California, USA
Kluge-Ruhe collection, USA
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
Museum, Victoria
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, USA
Parliament House, Canberra
Sammlung Essl Museum, Austria
Seattle Art Musuem, Seattle, USA
Wesfarmers Collection
