Leaves

Gloria Tamerre Petyarre

1945

2021

Anmatyerre

Atnangkere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Acrylic on Canvas, Linen and Paper, Batik on Silk

Leaves, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming, Alpite (Wild Flowers), Ntyerrm (Seed of the Dogwood Tree), Ntang (Edible Seeds), Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard)

Gloria Tamerre Petyarre (1945-2021) was an Anmatyerre artist from Atnangkere Country in the Utopia region. She was one of the most recognised artists to emerge from the Utopia art movement, with a career spanning silk batik, acrylic painting and paper works.

Gloria began her artistic journey with the Utopia Women's Batik Group in 1978 and was part of the first group of artists to experiment with acrylic on canvas during the 1988 Summer Project. Her early works included Awelye (Women's Ceremony and Body Paint Designs), a subject she continued to explore throughout her career using different techniques and materials.

Working in acrylic on canvas, linen and paper, as well as silk batik, Gloria developed several highly recognisable styles. Her famous Leaves paintings depict leaves moving across Country in swirling patterns of wind and energy, while her Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming paintings are known for their unique 'swirly ones' design, representing the textured skin of the lizard.

Gloria's contribution to Australian art was widely recognised, including winning the prestigious Wynne Prize in 1999 for her Leaves design. Her works are held in major collections throughout Australia and internationally, and her Leaves design was selected by the French fashion house Hermès for its 2009 silk scarf collection, titled Le Rêve de Gloria (Gloria's Dreaming).