May – Oct (Dry Season)
Monday – Friday: 9.30am – 4:30pm
Saturday: 9.30am – 2:30pm
Sunday: 10am – 2:30pm
Nov – April (Wet Season)
Monday – Friday: 9.30am – 4.00pm
Saturday: 10.00am – 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed
Other Names: Pitjara
Born: 1965
Region: Central Desert
Community: Utopia
Language: Anmatyerre
Medium: Acrylic on canvas/linen.
Subjects: Yam Seed, Wildflower, Bush Potato, Emu. Anna Petyarre is an eastern Anmatyerre woman, born at Utopia in 1965. Anna’s home is Atneltyeye, Boundary Bore, on the Utopia Homelands, approximately 220 km from Alice Springs. She lives there with her family. She is a grandmother with five grandchildren. Anna, whose mother was the late artist Glory Ngale, has painted since her early childhood. She is related to Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Kudditji Kngwarreye through her grandfather, who was a brother of Emily and Kudditji’s father.
Anna Petyarre’s subjects include Bush Yam and Yam Seed Dreamings, which are associated Dreamings from her grandfather’s and father’s country at Atneltyeye, or Boundary Bore. As a traditional Aboriginal women involved in sacred ceremonies, Anna also paints Awelye- ceremonial body paint designs – related to women’s ceremony.
Amongst these is the story of women painting up for ceremony inside a cave, singing of how to attract a man, and of the bush foods preferred by interested suitors. The women also learn the laws that stipulate that they must only encourage the interests of men of a certain clan relationship to themselves. Anna’s more recent work has focused on images of her ancestral country, the finely delineated structures showing the terrain of the sandhill and bush country, often with markings that reveal waterholes and ceremonial sites.
Anna primarily paints Yam Seed Dreaming, her works are colourful and intricate expressions of the songs and stories associated with her plant totem, the Bush Yam, and its seeds. The Bush Yam has been a staple food and water source for the Anmatyerre people for countless years, and the seeds that form and scatter from the plant are ground up to make flour for damper. During ceremony, it is Anna’s duty to pay homage to the yam seeds and give thanks for their abundance and regenerative qualities. By painting to the tempo of a ceremonial song, Anna expresses her connection to her plant totem in a permanent medium.
Anna Petyarre is renowned for her fine painting technique and for the care and pride she takes in her work, producing intricate and sensitive paintings that relate to the traditional culture of her Anmatyerre heritage.
A versatile and creative artist Anna has changed her painting style radically several times over the last decade. Her work is becoming more collectible as she develops her craft and cements her reputation as one of Utopia’s rising talents.
Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery is a founding member of the Australian Indigenous Art Trade Association, which was established to promote the ethical trade of indigenous art.
May – Oct (Dry Season)
Monday – Friday: 9.30am – 4:30pm
Saturday: 9.30am – 2:30pm
Sunday: 10am – 2:30pm
Nov – April (Wet Season)
Monday – Friday: 9.30am – 4.00pm
Saturday: 10.00am – 2:00pm
Sunday: Closed