Tanya Bird Mpetyane / Women’s Ceremony

An Anmatyerre artist who learned culture and painting through a widely respected Utopia family, especially her grandmother Ada Bird Petyarre. Her wider practice explores women’s ceremony, Bush Plum, Rat-tail Plant and Mulga Seed Dreamings. Her mother, Eileen Bird, is a respected painter, and her late father, Paddy Bird, was a talented artist recognised for his contributions to the Utopia art movement. Tanya is an Anmatyerre woman born in 1981, with deep ties to the Utopia region of the Northern Territory.

Tanya’s sister, Alvira Bird Mpetyane, is also an accomplished artist, and together they continue the family’s artistic legacy. This deep bond helped shape Tanya’s understanding of culture, Country, and the power of art as a form of storytelling and connection. Her artworks have been exhibited in group exhibitions and are held in private collections across Australia and internationally.