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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.

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Gloria Petyarre

2005
R. Ian Lloyd

inkjet print on paper (sheet: 51.7 cm x 60.7 cm, image: 35.3 cm x 53.0 cm)

Gloria Tamerre Petyarre (c. 1938-1945), an Anmatyerre woman from Aknangkere Country, near Alice Springs, is one of Australia's most acclaimed Aboriginal painters. She is probably the best-known Utopia artist after her late aunt, Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Petyarre first gained recognition for her batiks, exhibiting from 1977 with the Utopia Women's Silk Batik Group. Although she only began painting in acrylics on canvas in the late 1980s, since her first solo exhibition in 1991 she has had a dedicated following of public and private collectors in Australia and internationally. Using layers of tapering dots, dashes and swirling lines, her many paintings portray Awelye (women's ceremonies and body paint designs) and various Dreamings, including the Mountain Devil Lizard and her signature, Bush Medicine Leaves. Petyarre was awarded the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in 1999 for one of her Leaves works, the first Aboriginal artist to receive this coveted award for landscape painting.

For the exhibition and book Studio: Australian Painters Photographed by R. Ian Lloyd (2007), art critic John McDonald and National Geographic photographer Lloyd travelled 50,00 km around Australia over three years. This photograph shows Petyarre painting in a shed in Alice Springs. Lloyd and McDonald watched her, seemingly 'completely unflappable', as she applied layer upon layer of tapering dots with patient repetitive strokes, making another of the many paintings with which she has long helped to support her relatives in Utopia.

Gift of the artist 2010. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© R Ian Lloyd/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

R. Ian Lloyd (age 52 in 2005)

Gloria Tamerre Petyarre (age 67 in 2005)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

R. Ian Lloyd (5 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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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 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.

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