Minnie Pwerle

DOB: c.1910 - 2006
BORN: Utopia, NT
LANGUAGE GROUP: Anmatyerre. Alyawarr
COMMUNITY: Utopia, NT

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The extraordinarily powerful and prolific artist, Minnie Pwerle, was born in 1910 in Utopia; in bush country located about 350 km northeast of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She was to become, along with her contemporary, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, one of Australia's greatest female Aboriginal artists.

The source and great inspiration for her art came from her involvement in traditional Aboriginal ceremonial practise and rituals where she was responsible for applying the all-important body paint designs to participants in women's ceremonies.

Minnie Pwerle's paintings are now held in museums and exhibited in galleries worldwide, and they form an essential part of any serious Aboriginal Art collection. She died in her 90s, still painting to the very end, and is truly one of the greatest Australian Aboriginal artists.

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Minnie passed away in 2006.

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