Rita Pula Loy / Country (RPL20)

Rita Pula (Pwerle) Loy was born in 1972 at Utopia Station, 275 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Central Australia. Rita comes from one of the most celebrated painting families in Australia. She is the niece of senior artist Abie Loy Kemarre and her great aunties include Kathleen Petyarre and Gloria Petyarre. Rita belongs to the Anmatyerre clan group and speaks Eastern Anmatyerre with English as a second language.

In the late 1990s, Rita embarked on her painting journey under the guidance of her renowned aunt, Abie Loy and famous great aunties Kathleen and Gloria Petyarre. While focusing on raising her children, she painted sporadically for many years, but has now reignited her passion, painting regularly once more.

Her subjects include Country, Sandhills, Anwekety (bush plum or conkerberry), Atwelkarr (Button Quail / Bush Hen), Goanna and Awelye (women’s ceremony and body paint designs).

These are the sandhills around my Country. Up and down those tracks my mother and aunties showed me. It’s my Country and I’m painting it my own way.