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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Suzie Petyarre

1994
Greg Weight

gelatin silver photograph on paper (sheet: 40.4 cm x 50.4 cm, image: 36.5 cm x 45.4 cm)

Suzie Petyarre (also spelt Pitjara) Hunter (b. 1966), painter, is an Alyawarre woman who lives a traditional life in the bush at Irrultja, Utopia. The younger sister of artists Annie Petyarre Hunter, Jessie Petyarre Hunter and Sandy Petyarre Hunter, Suzie began painting in the late 1980s. In her paintings she depicts Aweleye (women's ceremony) and Dreamings from an aerial perspective, using meticulous lines of paint applied with fine needles. Her works have been exhibited in galleries across Australia and internationally.

While in Utopia in 1994, Greg Weight photographed Petyarre painting in the back of a ute. As he remembered in his book Australian Artists: 'I had this photograph lined up and asked her to look at the camera, and she gave me a cheeky smile … It was such a fleeting moment – there was no way of knowing if I had the shot until the film was processed several weeks later.'

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Gregory Weight/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Greg Weight (age 48 in 1994)

Suzie Petyarre Hunter (age 28 in 1994)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Patrick Corrigan AM (130 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency