MB060921
Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Sugarbag (Native Honey) MB060921-Annie Hunter Petyarre
Annie Hunter Petyarre
$2,200.00
1964
Language Group:Alyawarre
Country:Arawerre (Soapy Bore), Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Batik on Silk
Subjects:Sugarbag (Native Honey), Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Country, Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Sugarbag (Native Honey)
Annie Hunter Petyarre was born in 1964 and is an Alyawarre artist from Arawerre (Soapy Bore) in the Utopia region of Central Australia. She comes from a strong artistic family, with her mother Molly Pwerle, sisters Jessie and Susan, and older brother Sandy Hunter all recognised artists.
Annie was involved in the Utopia Women's Batik Group and contributed to the important early development of the Utopia art movement. Her work was included in A Picture Story, a project initiated by CAAMA in the late 1980s, and she also participated in group exhibitions featuring Utopia silk batiks. She began painting with acrylics in the late 1980s and has continued to develop her own artistic style.
Working with acrylic on canvas and linen, Annie paints stories including Sugar Bag, Awelye (Women's Ceremony and Body Paint Designs) and Country. Her detailed paintings often feature fine dotwork patterns that reflect the stories and landscapes of Arawerre Country, as well as stories connected to Atnwengerrp and Irrweltye, her mother's Country.
Annie's artwork continues the strong artistic traditions of her family and the wider Utopia community, sharing important cultural stories through carefully crafted designs and patterns.
Annie paints Awelye (Women's Ceremonial and Body Paint Designs) for Sugarbag. Sugarbag is the bush honey of Australian native bees. Bush honey can be found in the trees in her country.
Linear designs 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.
MB060921