Carol Puruntatameri

”When the old man, my father’s brother, was painting, he brought all us children and grandchildren to the art centre, teaching us. During the Kulama ceremony, he painted his body while holding a mirror. Our fathers told all us girls, ‘Go down and cut sticks from the mangroves to use in the ceremony.’ The sticks were placed in a circle around the middle, and the men went out to collect the Kulama (bush yam). We were all there — all my family.

I didn’t know how to paint. I started painting and painting, and now I know how to paint. I used to copy what my father did. Some of my paintings tell stories.”