1957
Language Group:Anmatyerre
Country:Atnangkere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas and Linen
Subjects:Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Atnwelarre (Pencil Yam) and Kame (Seed), Ntyerrm (Seed of the Dogwood Tree), Bush Beans, Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard), Country, Green Bean Tre
Jean is the youngest of the prestigious Petyarre sisters, from the Utopia region of Central Australia. The sisters are Ada Bird, Kathleen Petyarre, Nancy Kunoth Petyarre, Gloria Petyarre, Myrtle Petyarre and Violet Petyarre. Jean has five children herself and lives in the Utopia region with her husband and children.
Though not involved in the batik movement during the 1980's like her sisters, Jean began to paint for Mbantua Gallery in 1996.
Jean paints the story of the Ntyerrm, the seed of the Awenth (dogwood or acacia coriacea) tree. This is a very important story for Jean that belongs to her country, Atnangkere.
The awenth is a small tree that produces pale yellow flowers, long greyish green leaves and long twisted seed pods. Ntyerrm are large, hard coated black seeds that are collected and either lightly roasted and the seeds then eaten, or the hardened seeds are collected from split pods then soaked and mashed by hand to create milky water which is drunk.
