Cecilia Tigan

Cecilia joined Nagula Jarndu in 2022 when she moved to Broome with her family. She was born in Ardyloon/One Arm Point on the Dampier Peninsula where she spent her childhood. Her work is strongly influenced by her late father, the renowned riji (ceremonial pearl carving) artist Aubrey Tigan whose shells are held in galleries and museums around the world. Like her father, Cecilia tells stories of her Mayala heritage, collecting pearl shells on the high tide, whirlpools and tidal movements, ancestral connections, traditional hunting techniques and tools and ocean food and medicine. She has strong connections to her Mayala heritage and is passionate about the recording and maintenance of Mayala language and respectful cultural practices that ensure the integrity of her heritage is continued.