Susan Hunter Petyarre

Born: 1969

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), Women's Story, Awelye (Women's Ceremony) for Sugarbag (Native Honey)

Susan was involved in the Utopia Women's Batik. Her work is represented in 'A Picture Story', a project initiated by CAAMA in the late 80's. She also began painting on canvas in the late 80's and has been involved in many group exhibitions including the Robert Holmes à Court touring exhibition of silk batiks.

From a family of artists, Susan's mother, Molly Pwerle; her older sisters, Annie and Jessie; and also her older brother, Sandy Hunter, are all renowned artists. All have a refined style, often their whole painting will consist of patterns of individual fine dots, reflecting their story and Arawerre country. They also paint stories associated with Atnwengerrp and Irrweltye their mother's country.

Collections

Mbantua Gallery Collection, Alice Springs, NT

The Holmes à Court Collection, Perth, WA

Exhibitions

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

1994

Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT

1997

Geschichtenbilder, Aboriginal Art Gallery Bahr, Speyer, Germany

1999

Aboriginal Art - Australien Heute, Deutsche Welle Kohn, Germany

1999

Australie - Art, Arts d'Australie Stephane Jacob, J.L.Amsler, Bastille, Paris

2004

Bilderwelten in Utopia. Holzschnitte und Gemaelde vom Aborigines, Staedtisches Kunstmuseum Spendhaus Reutlingen, Kunstmuseum Bayreuth, Germany

2006

Senior Women of Utopia, Gallery B, Brisbane, QLD

2006

Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2007

Standing on Ceremony, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA

2009

Aboriginal Art in Korea, Gongpyeong Art Space in collaboration with DACOU, Australian Embassy in Korea and Crossbay Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

2012

Aboriginal Artists in London, London, UK

2014

Indigenous Group Show, Without Pier Art Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2015

Aboriginal Art, Wimbledon Village, United Kingdom

References

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