Iy-lenky-la (Small Earth Worm)

Jilly Jones Petyarre

1976

Alyawarre

Arawerre (Soapy Bore), Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Acrylic on Canvas and Linen

Iy-lenky-la (Small Earth Worm), Women's Dreaming, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Tharrkarr (Sweet Honey Grevillea), Sugarbag (Native Honey), Women Collecting Imuna (Bush Food)

Jilly Jones Petyarre was born in 1976 and is an Alyawarre artist from Arawerre Country in the Utopia region. Growing up at Old MacDonald Downs Station, she developed a strong connection to her Country and the cultural traditions of her community.

Jilly comes from a large extended family of artists, including her sisters Sandra and Rhonda Jones. She learnt to paint and gained knowledge of her stories from the senior women around her, including her mother, artist Gypsy Jones, continuing the tradition of passing cultural knowledge through generations.

Working in acrylic on canvas and linen, Jilly paints stories connected to Women's Dreaming, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Iy-lenky-la (small earthworm), Tharrkarr (Honey Grevillea), Sugarbag and women collecting bush foods.

Jilly has been painting since around 2003 and continues to live in the Utopia region with her husband, Patrick Tilmouth, children and extended family.