Dreamtime Sisters

Colleen Wallace Nungari

1974

Eastern Arrernte (Aranda)

Arnumarra, near Gem Tree, North East of Alice Springs (father) and Arrulka, near Conniston, North West of Alice Springs (mother), Northern Territory

Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Decorative Art

Dreamtime Sisters, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Arlatyeye (Pencil Yam) Dreaming, Number 7 Boomerang - Dreamtime Sisters

Colleen Wallace Nungari was born in 1974 and is an Eastern Arrernte artist from Arnumarra near Gem Tree and Arrulka near Conniston in Central Australia. She comes from a strong family tradition of Eastern Arrernte artists, including her mother Therese Wallace and aunt Gabriella Wallace. Colleen was raised by her stepmother Kathleen Wallace at Santa Teresa and Alice Springs.

A self-taught artist, Colleen developed her painting practice through the cultural knowledge and stories passed down through her family. Her most recognised works depict the Dreamtime Sisters, ancestral spirits who dance Awelye (Women's Ceremony), care for Country and protect important sacred places.

Working with acrylic on canvas and linen, Colleen paints stories connected to her Country, including Dreamtime Sisters, Awelye (Women's Ceremony) and Arlatyeye (Bush Yam Dreaming). Her artworks reflect her understanding of the ancestral beings and stories that continue to watch over the land.

Colleen lives between Mulga Bore and Alice Springs with her husband Colin Bird and their children. Alongside her art she has also worked at Mulga Bore School, helping to support and teach children in her community.