Bessie was born in 1960 into the Alyawarr tribe. She lives in Utopia with her mother, renowned artist, Polly Ngale and her aunties, Kathleen Ngale and Angeline Pwerle Ngale.
Bessie began her artist career in batik, like many of the women in Utopia, before venturing into painting with acrylic paints on canvas.
Her mother Polly Ngale taught her how to paint and she shares the same dreaming – Bush Plum (Arnwekety).
The Bush Plum is an important source of food for Bush Women and they still gather the plums to this day, once the fruit ripens to maturity. Bessie’s paintings depict the Bush Plum and the effect of its growth patterns on her country. She illustrates the topography in many shades of colour including red, oranges and yellows and pinks and purples, reflecting the varying seasonal palette. She builds up layer upon layer of colour, creating a multi-dimensional effect to reveal the Bush Plum in all its glory.
