In that time, those closest to him have been travelling across Australia to perform smoking ceremonies with Bunggul - an ancient custom which involves smoldering native plants, warding off bad spirits and releasing others.

Where ever he has spent prominent time, dancers from Beswick have been: his house in Katherine, the Melbourne cinema where his last film was screened and the Djilpin Arts centre, to name a few.

On Friday evening, Katherine's Cultural Centre was finally filled with smoke as the dancers ticked off another place on their list.

Fleur Parry, Mr Lewis' wife and the manager of the Djilpin Arts centre said while the group can't trace all of his footsteps across the globe, they'd made every effort to get to the places he spent the most time.

Mr Lewis was a familiar face at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre where he performed The Shadow King, a powerful retelling of King Lear using Indigenous languages.

Mr Lewis was a singer and songwriter known best for his work on stage and on screen.

He died suddenly in May 2018, leaving his legacy of work at Djilpin Arts, where he wished to build a sharing of culture.

"There were two parts to Friday," Mrs Parry said.

"The dancers came to do Bunggul in honour of Tommy, and then after, in a lighter celebration, they danced Beswick's own corroboree Bongiliny Bongiliny to open the art exhibition."

A selection of artworks from the ninth series of prints on paper made by artists from Beswick were featured on Friday night as part of the Cultural Centre's last run of exhibitions.

Made with long-standing artist Basil Hall, the prints on show were created on etching plates, taking traditional art in a contemporary direction.

For the artists, the prints served two purposes, Mrs Parry said, "it is cultural expression, but also a pretty important way to supplement income in a town with far less economic opportunities."

The exhibition Gapu IX will be running until Saturday, December 14.

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