Lizzie Pwerle / Awelye Atnwengerrp – Bush Orange Ceremony (19324)

Lizzie Pwerle was born c.1940’s into the Alyawarre tribe in Utopia. Her country is Atwengerrp. She is the first cousin to the Pwerle Sisters (Galya and Emily & the late Molly and Minnie Pwerle).

Lizzie was there when the women from Utopia first caught the attention of the international art world with the Batik project of the late 1970s and the move to painting in the 1980s. Since then she has featured in a number of important group exhibitions, but it is only in the last decade that her singular style has really caught the eye of national & international collectors.

Lizzie’s source of inspiration has remained constant throughout her artistic career; her beloved Atnwengerrp country, located 250kms North East of Alice Springs in the Utopia region. Lizzie has a profound knowledge and respect for her country, and this is reflected in her paintings. Many of her works recreate an aerial perspective of Atnwengerrp, with extraordinarily fine rows of dots marking out features in the landscape, as well as underlying cultural meaning which is celebrated in their Awelye ceremonies. Lizzie also depicts Women’s Ceremony and Bush Orange Dreaming.

Lizzie’s art ensures the continuation of an ancient and rich cultural heritage, and she takes great delight in seeing the next generation of artists from her family grow.

Selected Group Exhibitions
• 2024 Black + White, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2023 Atnwengerrp – Our Home. Our Country, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2022 Colours of the Desert, Pwerle Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
• 2022 Synergy 2022, First Nations Artists from around Australia, Everywhen Art, Shoreham VIC
• 2022 Into the Sunset, Pwerle Aboriginal Art Gallery, Sydney
• 2022 Palya – a tribute to Steve Ariston, Art Mob, Hobart
• 2021 Synergy: Art from the Heartlands of Aboriginal Australia, Everywhen Art, Shoreham VIC
• 2019 Summer Show & Art Parade, Salt, Queenscliff, VIC
• 2019 defining tradition | black + white, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2018 My Country, Salt, Queenscliff, VIC
• 2018 Earth’s Creation, Emily Kame and Family, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2018 Utopia Exhibition of Four Generations, Pwerle Gallery in conjunction with One Rundle Trading Co., Adelaide
• 2017 Atnwengerrp Revisited | Family Show and Artist in Residence Programme, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2016 Black and White, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
• 2009 Utopia and Papunya Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Bay Gallery, London
• 2009 Summer Exhibition Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
• 2009 Gallery Savah, Sydney
• 2009 Utopia, Colours of the Desert, Gongpyeong Art Space in collaboration with Dacou, Australian Embassy in Korea and Crossbay Gallery, Seoul
• 2008 Dacou Gallery, Adelaide
• 2008 Gallery Savah, Sydney
• 2008 Utopia Discoveries, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
• 2008 Contemporary Aboriginal Art Exhibition, Harrison Gallery, Sydney
• 2008 Small Works, Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne
• 2007 Standing on Ceremony, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide
• 1990 Utopia – a Picture Story, an exhibition of 88 works on silk from the Holmes a Court Collection by Utopia artists which toured Ireland and Scotland
• 1989-91 Utopia – a Picture Story, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide

Lizzie has depicted body painting that carries deep spiritual significance for the Aboriginal people. They recognise the creative nature of this activity, which uses the human body itself as a living canvas for artistic expression. The use of particular designs and motifs denotes social position and the relationship of the individuals to their family group and to particular ancestors, totemic animals and tracts of land. In many situations individuals are completely transformed so they become the spirit ancestor they are portraying in the dance. The pattern must conform to the ceremony being performed, and the women are not at liberty to adorn themselves with designs of free will. This finely dotted piece by Lizzie relates to the Bush Orange ceremony.