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.
Atnwelarre, the Pencil Yam, and Kame, the seed of this plant, are the subject of Jean's painting. The Atnwelarre is a trailing herb or creeper, sometimes covering large areas, with bright green leaves, yellow flowers and long skinny yams (swollen roots). These are an important food source which can be eaten raw or cooked in hot sand and ashes.
In the Dreamtime there are two parts to the Kame story. Two different seeds were born that created two different species of Pencil Yam, one called Atnwelarre which belongs to Jean's country, and the other called Arlatyeye which belongs to Arnumarra country.
