Ngaruwanajirri was established in 1994 to support local Tiwi artists with disabilities and to provide employment for people at Nguiu on Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory. Ngaruwanajirri is a Tiwi word that means ‘helping one another’. Tiwi artists have been producing distinctive carvings and paintings for centuries. The Ngaruwanajirri artists today create works using local ochre and natural pigments on paper, canvas and carvings.

Works from the Ngaruwanajirri Arts Centre have been selected for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Art Award (Telstra Award) and have travelled in touring exhibitions throughout Australia and overseas. Works from Ngaruwanajirri are held in public institutions and in many private collections across Australia.