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 | Born: 1975 Language Group: Anmatyerre/Alywarre Country: Atnwengerrp, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen Subjects: Awelye (Women's Ceremony and Body Paint Designs), Creation Awelye, My Country |
Charmaine is a talented and established artist, whose paintings are very powerful, bold and modern. Charmaine is the daughter of renowned artist, Barbara Weir and granddaughter of the famous artist, Minnie Pwerle (deceased). Her sister Teresa Pwerle and brother Freddie Torres Pwerle are also well-known artists.
Charmaine was born in Alice Springs and grew up in Utopia, Adelaide and Alice Springs. Charmaine attended Utopia School and then St Philips College in Alice Springs. She returned to Utopia in 1992 and worked for Urapuntja Council. She lived at Soakage Bore with her mother and grandmother and learnt traditional culture, dreamings and awelye.
Charmaine started painting in 2012. She paints awelye (women's ceremonial body paint designs) that has been passed onto her from her grandmother. These are linear designs that are painted onto the chest, breasts, arms and thighs. Powders ground from red ochre (clay) and ash are used, applied with a flat stick with soft padding. During the ceremony, Charmaine and the women would sing the songs associated with their awelye, paint each other and dance. Awelye ceremonies are performed to demonstrate respect for the country and the total well-being and health of the community.
Currently Charmaine lives in Mount Isa with her five children (four daughters and one son).
Collections
Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Charmaine paints Awelye (Women's Ceremonial Body Paint Designs) for the ancestral dreamtime stories which belong to her country, Atnwengerrp, in the Utopia Region. Atnwengerrp is also her mother and grandmother's country.
The bold linear designs in this painting represent Awelye. These designs are painted onto the chest, breasts, arms and thighs. Powders ground from red and yellow ochre (clays), charcoal and ash are used as body paint and applied with a flat stick with soft padding. The women sing the songs associated with their Awelye as each woman takes her turn to be 'painted-up'. Women perform Awelye ceremonies to demonstrate respect for their country and the total well-being and health of their community.
