Outstation Gallery is proud to present a solo exhibition by Barbara Puruntatameri, in association with Jilamara Arts. A Tiwi artist from Melville Island, Barbara is known for her distinctive use of the Kayimwagakimi, a carved ironwood body painting tool, to create her signature dot work, carrying forward a deeply personal Tiwi tradition.

Drawing on cultural knowledge passed through generations, Puruntatameri’s practice reflects a profound connection to Tiwi identity, ceremony and artistic heritage. Through her meticulous mark-making, she transforms traditional techniques into dynamic visual compositions that honour ancestral customs while asserting a contemporary artistic voice. The repetitive rhythms of her dot work create surfaces that are both meditative and richly textured, revealing the depth of knowledge embedded within each gesture.

The exhibition offers an opportunity to engage with the continuity and vitality of Tiwi culture through the work of one of its leading contemporary practitioners. Balancing innovation with respect for tradition, Puruntatameri’s paintings embody the enduring significance of cultural transmission, demonstrating how inherited practices can remain active, evolving and deeply relevant within the present.