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1966
Language Group:Eastern Arrernte (Aranda)
Country:Santa Teresa, South East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas, Linen and Paper, Decorative Craft
Subjects:Women Collecting Imuna (Bush Food), Merne Pmerlpe (Quandongs), Owls, Merne Arrwerneng (Wild Passionfruit), Merne Alangkwe (Bush Banana), Merne Yerrampe (Honey Ants), Women Collecting Merne Awele Awele (Wild Tomatoes), Merne Atwakeye (Wild Orange), Me
Marie Ryder grew up at Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte) community, 80kms southeast of Alice Springs with her eight younger brothers and sisters. Her mother is Therese Ryder, a highly respected illustrative and landscape artist. Marie is married to Kevin Bird Mpetyane (grandson of Ada Bird Petyarre) and lives happily with their children in Kevin's country in the Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs. Marie also has another two children from her first marriage.
Marie first put paint to canvas when she was in her early 20's. As a child, she watched her mother painting, observing her techniques and from this developed her own style. Her paintings are a celebration of the bush foods from Central Australia. They are highly representational using rich colours to depict her country.
Her work is held in many private collections both interstate and overseas. Her work has also been represented in many group exhibitions.
Marie paints women collecting Awele Awele (wild tomato or gooseberry) and Angkwerrpme (Mistletoe).
The clonal sub-shrub of the awele awele grows most commonly on foothills and lower hill slopes throughout Central Australia. It produces beautiful purple flowers and velvety grey or bluish-green leaves and the tomatoes are produced in abundance during good moisture conditions. Once collected, the Aboriginal people eat the tomatoes raw or put them in the hot earth by the fire and cook them.
There are many different types of angkwerrpme in Central Australia, where all but one or two produce edible berries. Marie paints one that has sweet edible berries that can be found in shades of yellow, red, orange and purple (or black) in their different stages of maturity.
Women, represented by 'U' motifs, can carry with them their digging sticks and coolamons (carved wooden bowls) which are typical instruments used for collecting many bush foods.