Rosemary Petyarre / Bush Medicine Leaves

An Anmatyerre artist from Boundary Bore and an early participant in Utopia’s batik and canvas movement. Her artworks draw on Alhalkere Country, bush foods, medicine plants and important women’s narratives. It was after the “summer project” sponsored by the CAAMA network in 1989 that Rosemary spread her wings and began creating art with acrylics and canvas. Rosemary was born in 1961 at Boundary Bore outstation, Utopia.

She was amongst a small group of women who travelled to Indonesia to learn various techniques in the manufacturing of batiks. She was one of a group of Anmatyerre women at the forefront of the art movement in the Utopia area. She is the niece of the acclaimed artist Emily Kngwarreye and younger sister to highly respected artists Greeny Purvis Petyarre, Jeannie Petyarre and Evelyn Pultara.