Australian Art Collective – Art for Everyone | Australian Aboriginal Art Gallery

Thomas Munkanome

Ironwood Carving | Ochre

73 x 13 x 10 cm | 25169S

$1390AUD

Pelican

This elegant pelican sculpture by Thomas Munkanome is a stunning celebration of Tiwi cultural expression and the coastal wildlife of the Northern Territory. Carved from ironwood and painted with natural ochres, the sculpture captures the pelican’s graceful form—its elongated beak, arched neck, and upright stance rendered with striking simplicity and strength.

The surface is decorated with fine Jilamara (Tiwi design) motifs, which echo ceremonial body paint used in traditional Pukumani mourning rituals. These cross-hatched and patterned designs reflect ancestral stories, land connections, and the ceremonial rhythms of Tiwi life. The base, painted in flowing ochre lines, evokes water and tides—linking the bird to its saltwater environment.

In Tiwi mythology, birds like the pelican are not merely animals but messengers, guides, or spirit-beings who inhabit both the physical and spiritual worlds. Through this work, Munkanome pays homage to the rich birdlife of his island home while honouring the knowledge systems that continue to thrive in Tiwi art.

Each piece by Munkanome is unique in character, imbued with both cultural depth and artistic individuality—bridging ancestral tradition with contemporary presence.