Pwoja (Pukumani body paint design) 2003

Pwoja is the traditional body painting design used by the Tiwi people for the pukumani mortuary ceremony. In this ceremony, all participants and tuitini (pukumani burial poles) are decorated in ochre designs, which conceal their true identities from harm by the malevolent spirits associated with this ceremony.

Pedro Wonaeamirri uses pwoja or kayimwagakimi, the traditional hardwood Tiwi painting comb, to continue the tradition of painting jilamara, which translated into English means ‘good design’.