Timothy Cook

Timothy Cook expresses himself through his loose and gestural designs. Timothy paints exclusively with natural ochre and his artworks are highly sort after by major collections both nationally and internationally. Timothy won the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art Award in 2012 and has been shortlisted for many others including the Hadley Art Award in 2019.

Timothy has been creating paintings, prints and carvings at Jilamara Arts and Craft since 1999 and has represented the art centre in numerous high-profile solo and group exhibitions. His art is very personal to him; he likes the ‘old designs’ which he learnt from his elders. He paints dots (pwanga) as elements of his designs; dots are his ‘favourite’ due to the fact that ochre dots are applied to his face for ceremonies. The dots are applied by his bunji – a kinship relationship term which means mate, or in-law.

In the last few years Timothy has focused on the Kulama design. The Kulama ceremony is a traditional initiation for young men which coincides with the harvest of wild yam. The ceremony is performed in the late wet season (March-April) when a ring appears around Japarra (the moon). Elders of both sexes sing and dance for three days, welcoming the boys into adulthood. The boy is then renamed with his true man’s name. The circles in his work symbolize the moon, yam and ritual circles of the Kulama ceremony, the “cross” reflects his spiritual life, the pwanga (dots) reflect the japalinga (stars).

Some of Timothy’s paintings also represent Japarra the moon man, a significant figure in the Tiwi creation story.

Born at Melville Island, Tiwi Islands, Timothy's clan is Marntupuni (House Fly) and his significant country is Andranangoo (Goose Creek).

Source: Jilamara Arts, Melville Island

Awards:

2017 Finalist, NATSIAA, MAGNT, Darwin, NT 2017 34th NATSIAA, The Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2013 Kate Challis RAKA Award, Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC

2013 Togart Contemporary Art Award, Chan Contemporary Art Space, Darwin, NT

2012 Winner - 29th NATSIAA The Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2011 28th NATSIAA The Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory,QLD

2011 Highly Commended, Western Australian Indigenous Art Award, Perth, WA

2010 27th NATSIAA, The Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2010 Togart Contemporary Art Award, Chan Contemporary Art Space, Darwin, NT

2009 Western Australian Premiers Indigenous Art Award, Perth, WA

2009 26th NATSIAA, The Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2008 25th NATSIAA, The Museum and Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2006 Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane,

2005 22nd NATSIAA, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2004 Special Commendation 21st NATSIAA, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, NT

2002 27th Annual Shell Fremantle Print Award, Fremantle Art Centre, Perth, WA

Collections:

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

Artbank Collection, Sydney

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

The Laverty Collection, Sydney

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin

Charles Darwin University, Darwin

Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

Aboriginal Art Museum, Utrecht, Netherlands

Art Gallery of South Australia

Wesfarmers Collection of Australia, Western Australia

Murdoch University Collection, Western Australia

Pat Corrigan Collection

Musee du quai Branly, France

National Gallery of Australia

Ann Lewis Collection Edith Cowan University, Perth

Western Australian Art Gallery, Perth

King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth

Private collections in the USA

St John of God Hospital, Perth

Parliament House Collection, Canberra

The City of Stirling art collection Darwin, NT