Born:
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)
Indigenous Heritage & Family Connection
Annie Hunter Petyarre comes from
a wonderful lineage of highly respected painters. She is the daughter of
the acclaimed Molly Pwerle, and her creative family includes her sisters
Jessie and Susan, as well as her older brother, Sandy Hunter, who are
all celebrated artists in their own right. Growing up surrounded by such
a talented family has naturally shaped Annie's own artistic path.
Artistic Career Evolution & Mediums
Annie began her artistic
journey in the late 1980s as a member of the historic Utopia Women's Batik
Group. Her early textile work on silk went on to feature in the prestigious
Robert Holmes à Court touring exhibition, and her art was also included
in CAAMA's landmark project, 'A Picture Story'. Over the years, she
successfully transitioned her practice to acrylics on canvas and has since
participated in many prominent group exhibitions.
Utopia Art Style & Fine Dot Techniques
Annie shares the signature,
highly refined style that her family is renowned for. Her paintings are
characterised by an incredible sense of patience, featuring precise and
intricate patterns of fine dot work. This meticulous technique requires
immense focus and mastery, creating a beautiful depth and movement across
the canvas.
Dreamtime Stories & Cultural Significance
Through her detailed
compositions, Annie captures a profound connection to her heritage and
ancestral lands. Her artwork preserves and maps out the sacred stories
and Dreamings associated with Arawerre country. Her paintings also honour
the complex cultural traditions and storylines tied to Atnwengerrp and
Irrweltye, her mother's country.
Mbantua Gallery Collection, Alice Springs, NT
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
The Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, WA
1989
Alcoota, Gallery Gabrielle Pizzi, Melbourne, VIC
1989
A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art, Westpac Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
1989
Utopia Women's Paintings, the first Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-1989, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
1990
Utopia - A Picture Story, an Exhibition of 88 works on Silk by Utopian artists, Holmes à Court Collection, toured Eire and Scotland
1999
Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT
2006
Utopia, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
2007
Patterns of Power - Art from the Eastern Desert, Simmer on the Bay Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2007
Standing on Ceremony, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA
2007
Eastern Desert Dreaming - Artists from Utopia, Gallery G, Brisbane, QLD
2008
Power of Place, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA
2010
Aboriginal Artists UK Spring Show, London
2011
Utopian Aboriginal Art, Without Pier Gallery, Chelthenham, VIC
2011
Desert Visions, Prairie Hotel, Parachilna, SA
2013
Aboriginal Artists UK Show, London
2014
Indigenous Group Show, Without Pier Art Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Brody, A.
(1989) Utopia Women's Paintings The First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project 1988-89, exhib.cat., Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA
Brody, A.
(1990) Utopia: a Picture Story, 88 Silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings, Perth, WA
Diggins, L.
(1989) A Myriad of Dreaming: Twentieth Century Aboriginal Art, exhibit. Cat., Malakoff Fine Art Press, North Caulfield, VIC
