Born: c. 1922

Deceased: 2006

Language Group: Alyawarre

Country: Atnwengerrp, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas and Linen

Subjects: Awelye (Women's Ceremonial Body Paint Designs), Anemangkerr (Small Melon), Akarley (Wild Orange)

About Minnie Pwerle

Many of Minnie's paintings reflect possibly the oldest designs of art in the world; the body painting for women's ceremony - Awelye. 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, Minnie 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 wellbeing and health of the community.

Minnie also painted the Dreamtime story of the Anemangkerr (Bush Melon) and also of the Akarley, which may be represented in her paintings by 'a-lube-eh-ditch' loops.

Her works are very bold and free flowing and immediately capture the attention of art lovers. Having never been taught art by way of European methods, nor having visited museums and contemporary art galleries, Minnie was one of Australia's top female contemporary Indigenous artists. Her paintings are loved for being so modern in style and yet so traditional and raw in subject.

Minnie was born in Alyawarre land, approximately 200 kilometers north east of Alice Springs, in approximately 1922. Speaking very little of the English language, Minnie made a bold, swift and unexpected entry into the European world of Australia in 2000 through painting. Minnie's eldest daughter, Barbara Weir born in 1945, was taken away at the age of 9 but they were both reunited in the late 1960's. For many years Minnie detached herself from Barbara. Sorry business had been done for her many years before and it was hard for Minnie to welcome a stranger claiming to be her daughter. Their lives were so different.

Minnie had earlier married an Aboriginal man by the name of Motorcar Jim, and had six children; Aileen, Betty, Raymond and Dora Mpetyane (two other daughters passed away and are not spoken of). But it was Barbara who encouraged Minnie to paint in the latter years of her life. Barbara, being an established artist herself, gave Minnie some canvas and paints while she waited for Barbara to finish painting at a workshop in Adelaide. Minnie painted what she has always painted - the body paint designs (awelye) that belonged to her country, Atnwengerrp. The traditional colours of this country are red ochre and white; however Minnie was excited by the vast amount of colours in front of her, and never looked back. When asked numerously if Minnie enjoyed painting, Minnie's family always replied for her with wholehearted conviction 'absolutely'. And very evident it was in her enthusiasm to paint and in her work; her freedom of brush stroke and fervor of colour.

Minnie passed away on 18th March 2006 at her home in Atnwengerrp. She is survived by her children, grand children, great grand children, and siblings Margie, Molly, Emily, Geyla, Lois, Ally and Louie.

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Collections

AMP Collection, Melbourne

Artbank, Sydney

Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney

Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth

Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra

Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne

Kelton Foundation, Santa Monica

Kreglinger Collection, Melbourne

Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

Thomas Vroom Collection, Amsterdam

Accolades

Solo Exhibitions

Exhibitions

Vibrant Minnie Pwerle Art for Sale at Mbantua Gallery

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