Click here to read The Age article by Chris Beck
In 2006 Flinders Lane Gallery was proud to present, together for the first time, the paintings of Minnie Pwerle and younger sisters Molly, Emily and Galya Pwerle (aged 75 - 90). These senior artists from the Utopia community in the North Eastern Desert painted an extraordinary body of works that were vibrant, colourful and energetic, belying their ages. All the sisters have the same Dreaming which comes from their country Atnwengerrp (pronounced a/noog/it/apa).

Minnie painted all aspects of body painting, representing-dance, bushtucker, ceremony and law. Molly paints ceremonial body paint in bold linear stripes. Emily paints her dreaming in symbols layered in patterns. Galya paints bushtucker seeds of the bush tomato and grasses.

Minnie took a close and supportive role in the development of her younger sisters. All artists, the youngest being in her 70's, have had an instant response to applying paint onto canvas, developing expressions of the dreamings that have been passed from generation to generation. Keeping the culture alive through the passing on of these symbols and patterns ensures the survival of these peoples in the harsh desert conditions.

The first workshop with the sisters was started in late 2004 by Minnie's eldest daughter Barbara Weir at the Ultja Outstation. The project has continued on to this date without any release of the artworks. A major workshop was run every six weeks, all women continued working between the workshops, totally engaged and delighted in the experience.

During the workshops all artists Minnie, Molly, Emily and Galya would come together and work on a collaborative canvas as well as their own individual canvas. Most workshops were done in the community of Ultja. This created a lot of interest bringing around lots of family and others in the camp. During these workshops of 2005 many art interested onlookers where invited to come out and see the development of the artists.

Artistic talent runs across the board in most aboriginal communities. From an early age the children are encouraged to draw and paint and throughout childhood the children sit with their elders drawing descriptions in the sand as they receive stories and law of their inherited land from thousands of years of history. It is not surprising then, when we see artists evolve from such a culture and develop into master painters.

Utopia artists have been at the forefront of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement since the artist Emily Kngwarreye came to the attention of collectors and institutions in the 1990s. Since then, distinguished artists such as Gloria Petyarre, Kathleen Petyarre, and Barbara Weir (Pwerle’s daughter) have risen to prominence and have captured the attention of the art world.

Barbara Weir started painting in the late 80's; both major collectors and museums throughout the world have acquired her work. Many major corporate companies have acquired Barbara's work to ensure the strength of their own collection portfolio. Ten years later and in her late 80's Barbara's mother Minnie Pwerle put paint to canvas for the first time, with much passion, power and determination. Minnie delivered to the canvas a new form of artwork, showing many aspects of her cultural life. Minnies knowledge and age transformed the canvas setting her apart from all other artists, within two years Minnie had become one for the most collectable
artists from this region.

The art has become a major communication tool for Australian indigenous people to pass on to the western world. Through the mapping and ownership in respect to the laws that have been abided by, to regeneration of the bush, living and hunting, ensuring the cultures survival from one generation to the next.

Minnie Pwerle’s first solo exhibition was held at Flinders Lane Gallery in 2000, her second in 2004, and her final exhibition in 2006.

Minnie is represented in major private and public collections in Australia and overseas, including national and state galleries.