Utopia Artists

My Mother's Story depicts Awelye, the women's ceremonial body paint designs, for the ancestral Dreamtime stories of the Anemangkerr (bush melon or tomato) from Betty's mother’s country, Atnwengerrp. Betty inherited the right to paint these designs from her mother, the late Minnie Pwerle. Bold linear stripes and curves represent the Awelye, traditionally traced on the body with animal fat as women sing ceremonial songs connected to ancestral travel, dance, and totemic plants and animals. Concentric circles represent waterholes, while the smaller circles depict the Anemangkerr, celebrating the land and its cultural significance.

This painting depicts Grass Seed Dreaming, capturing the delicate movement of native grasses through overlapping, swaying brush strokes. The seeds of these grasses were traditionally an important food source, ground and made into damper by the women of the community. In the Utopia region, many varieties grow, including a reddish grass found on spinifex sand plains and sand hills. Historically, seeds were collected in ingenious ways, often gathered from ant nests after the insects discarded them. Barbara's work celebrates this ancestral knowledge, passed down through generations, and the enduring significance of grass seeds in her culture.

Barbara depicts the sunrise over her mother's country, Atnwengerrp. The sun emerges on a new day, sending radiant beams of light across the landscape. Through her use of colour and texture, Barbara captures the warmth, energy and life of the land as it awakens, celebrating the beauty and significance of her country in the early morning glow.

The Dreamtime Sisters, benevolent spirits dancing the Awelye (women's ceremony) and caring for Colleen's country, Arnumarra. Colleen explains that these sisters were once living people - her ancestors - and through their dance, they continue to watch over and protect the land. The artwork celebrates their enduring presence, the cultural significance of the Awelye, and the deep connection between the women, their ancestors and the country they care for.

'My country is called Arnumarra that is my grandfather's country. In my painting, the dreamtime sisters are a group of spirits that look after the land and also their role is to guard special areas such as sacred sites and protect the land.' - Colleen Wallace Nungari, August 2014

This artwork depicts Awelye, women's ceremonial body paint designs, representing ancestral Dreamtime stories from Charmaine's country, Atnwengerrp, which is also her mother's and grandmother's country. Bold linear patterns illustrate the designs traditionally applied to the chest, arms, thighs and breasts using powders made from red and yellow ochre, charcoal and ash, applied with a flat stick and soft padding. Women sing the ceremonial songs as each is painted, performing Awelye to honour their country and support the health and well-being of their community.

This painting depicts Awelye, women's ceremonial body paint designs, telling the ancestral Dreamtime stories of Charmaine's country, Atnwengerrp, also her mother's and grandmother's country. The linear patterns represent the shapes of the chest, breasts, arms and thighs and are traditionally created using powders from red and yellow ochre, charcoal and ash, applied with a flat stick and soft padding. Women sing the associated ceremonial songs as each is painted. The linear patterns also represent women's dancing tracks, while concentric circles signify important sites such as sacred places, campsites, waterholes or rockholes, celebrating connection to country and community.

This design is a vibrant portrayal of Delvine's country, capturing the landscape through intricate dot work that represents hills and rivers weaving across the land. Circular designs depict waterholes, which may lie dry for much of the year but fill after rainfall, providing both sustenance and places for swimming and gathering. U-shaped motifs represent women, reflecting their presence and connection to the land. Through this work, Delvine conveys the living energy of her country and the cultural significance of its features in everyday life.

The story Leaves, also known as Leaves on the Ground, is a design first imagined by Gloria. She described the moment of inspiration:

'That first one. I was looking, looking. Looks like leaf, and I been put another one and another one and 'ah yeah'. First leaf' - Gloria Petyarre (deceased), April 1994

Gloria's Leaves series has become one of the most celebrated styles in Australian art. Unlike many of her other works, this subject is not drawn from cultural Dreamings but is a unique creation of Gloria's own imagination, showcasing her ability to transform the landscape into dynamic, swirling patterns.

Janelle depicts the sparks of a bush fire, capturing their energy and movement across the landscape. The dynamic marks and vibrant patterns convey both the power and beauty of fire, expressing the intensity of the natural world while revealing Janelle's heartfelt engagement with her country and its stories. Her work reflects a deep personal connection to each subject, as she pours her thoughts, feelings and emotions into every brushstroke.

Merne Atwakeye, the bush orange (Capparis mitchellii), a traditional food from Janie's country. The bush orange is a small, compact tree with dark green, leathery leaves and creamy white flowers that bloom at night and wither by the next day. The fruit hangs on long stalks, turning yellow-green when ripe, typically from October to January. Janie's artwork shows the fruit at its peak, ready to eat raw, while the background dot work represents the seeds, celebrating the plant's beauty and its importance as a source of nourishment in her culture.

The Anaty (Desert Yam or Bush Potato, Ipomoea costata) is a story from her father's country, Irrweltye. The Anaty is a yam that grows underground, with a viny shrub above ground reaching up to a metre high. Found across spinifex sand plains, it produces large pink flowers after summer rain. The yam's swollen root is similar in taste to a sweet potato and remains an important traditional food, eaten raw or cooked and harvested year-round. Jeannie captures the seed of the Anaty through intricate dot work and the beauty of its flowers with soft, colourful brush strokes, honouring this vital desert plant and its Dreaming story.

This is an important story belonging to Joycie's country. It tells of the healing plants that grow across the land and their use in traditional medicine. These plants are gathered, crushed and mixed with animal fat to create ointments used for treating wounds and illness. The story is deeply sacred, passed down through generations, and plays a vital role in women's ceremonies and cultural life. Through her artwork, Joycie shares the beauty and strength of this ancient knowledge.

'We grind leaves, flowers and seeds then boil in oil.' 'Good for sore skin, itchy, pain… anything! Also, we boil them in water and drink. Good for kidney, flu etc. It lowers blood pressure too. Yeah, really good one!' - Joycie Morton Petyarre

Lena uses circular designs to represent soakages that are located throughout her country, Ahalpere. Many of these soakages had plenty of water in them long ago although most have dried up now. With their intimate knowledge of the land, Lena's people knew how and where to find them in their harsh desert environment.

'Long time [ago] olden time mob get their little coolamon (bowl), they check them [soakages] - proper good one water! They been find 'em under the ground. My grandmother taught me where to find 'em. They dry now, they finish. They [my people] drink bore water now' - Lena Pwerle (deceased), 7th Oct 2008

Sacha captures the beauty of wildflowers found throughout her homeland in the Utopia Region. These native blooms, known collectively as Alpeyt, appear in an array of colours and forms, each with its own significance. Some are valued for their medicinal properties, while others produce a natural sweetness - the nectar or 'honey' that can be enjoyed straight from the flower or mixed with water to make a refreshing drink. Sacha's work celebrates the abundance and vitality of the desert after rain, when the land bursts into colour and life.

Selina depicts the spinifex growing across her country, Antarrengeny. Also known as porcupine grass, spinifex is a sharp-pointed grass that thrives in central Australia's arid landscape. Selina brings the plant to life using a fan brush, capturing its movement and texture, while delicate dot work represents the seeds scattered across the land.

'Spinifex is everywhere in Australia. It's Australian thing, important. It's also good bush medicine. We grind spinifex with rocks. Good for itchy. I paint spinifex moving by wind in my country.' - Selina Teece Pwerle

Selina celebrates the beauty of her country, Antarrengeny. She depicts ant hills, trees, hills, and spinifex. The desert sky shows clouds and stars, suggesting nightfall and the promise of rain. Rich, vibrant colours of native flowers and vegetation influence her palette, reflecting the land’s vitality. Selina’s work is deeply connected to her culture; along with other women of her country, she performs ceremonies tied to ancient Dreamtime stories, honouring Country and supporting the well-being of her community.