Charmaine Pwerle – My Grandmothers Country (3A)

Charmaine Pwerle was born in Alice Springs in 1975. Since birth Charmaine has been surrounded by some of the best known names among the Utopia artists of Central Australia. Charmaine Pwerle is the granddaughter of the famous Minnie Pwerle and daughter of Barbara Weir.

She was also embraced with such well known Utopia artists together with Emily Kngwarreye and Gloria Petyarre. This early experience gave her the insatiable desire to paint and to represent traditional stories that were part of her heritage, Charmaine’s inborn artistic sense predictably flourished.

Charmaine is a talented emerging artist. She lives at Urrultja, approx. 400km NE of Alice Springs with her husband and four children.

Charmaine went to primary school at Utopia. Later she moved to Adelaide then back to St. Phillips College and Alice Springs High School to finish her schooling. She then went back to Utopia for a few years before returning to Adelaide for further study. In 1992 Charmaine Pwerle was back in Utopia and working for Urapuntja Council. During this time Charmaine Pwerle lived at Soakage Bore, an outstation on Utopia Station, with her mother Barbara Weir and grandparents Minnie Pwerle and Motorcar Jim.

In 1992 Charmaine returned to Utopia. There she worked for Urapuntja Council as a junior administration assistant, while living with her mother Barbara Weir and grandparents Minnie Pwerle and Motorcar Jim at Soakge Bore, an outstation on what used to be Utopia Station.

During these years at Utopia Charmaine further involved herself in her traditional culture. During this time her grandmothers passed down their sacred stories to her.

Charmaine certainly a talented emerging artist. She lives at Urrultja, approx. 400km NE of Alice Springs with her husband and four children.