MINNIE PWERLE

Minnie Pwerle was born in the Utopia region in approximately 1910. Her country is Atnwengerrp and her language is Anmatyerre and Alyawarr. Minnie has five sisters, Margie, Molly, Emily, Lois, and Ally and one brother called Louis (her other brother is now deceased).

Minnie began painting in earnest recently at DACOU's workshop where she completed a series of linear paintings in September/October 1999. Minnie's first solo exhibition was in 2000 . These bold and free-flowing paintings immediately captured the attention of art lovers. Her first exhibition sold out.

Recently listed as one of Australia's Top 50 Most Collectable Artists in the Australian Art Collector, her popularity has soared and the exhibition once again sold out.

Minnie's main Dreamings are "", "Bush Melon", and "Bush Melon Seed". These convey her love and respect for the land and the food it provides to the people. "Awelye-Atnwengerrp" is depicted by a series of lines painted in different widths and colours. This pattern represents the lines painted on the top half of the women's bodies during ceremonies in their country of Atnwengerrp. "Bush Melon" is depicted using a linear design of curves, circles, and breast designs in different colours creating a very loose and bold design, while "Bush Melon Seed" is big and small patches of colour strewn across the canvas. Both these Dreamings tell the story of this lovely sweet food that comes from a very small bush and is only found in Atnwengerrp. Once very abundant and fruiting in the summer season, the bush melon is now very hard to find. Minnie and the other women used to collect this fruit (which was green in colour and ripened to a brown colour) and scrape out the small black seeds. They would then eat the fruit immediately or cut it into small pieces which were skewered and dried ready to be eaten in the coming months when bush tucker was scarce.

Selected Exhibitions:
2000 AMP Building, Sydney;
2001 Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs;
2001, 2002 Chapman Gallery, Canberra;
2001 San Anselmo, Marin Country, California, U.S.A.;
2001, 2002 Japingka Gallery, Perth;
2001 Tandanya Adelaide;
2001 Dreamtime Gallery, Santa Fe, U.S.A.;
2001 Gallery 2021, Auckland, New Zealand;
2002 Gallery New York City, U.S.A.;
2002 Knut Grothe Gallery, Charlottlenlund, Copenhagen, Denmark;
2002 Dacou Gallery, Adelaide;
2002 Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane;
2002 Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne;
2002 Heart and Soul Gallery, Nashville, U.S.A.;
2002 Urban Wineworks Gallery, Portland, USA;
2002 Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs;
2003 Walkabout Gallery, Sydney,
2003 Glen Eira City Council Gallery, Melbourne.