Artist Profile

Gracie Pwerle Morton

Gracie Pwerle Morton was born in 1956 in Utopia, a community 230 km northeast of Alice Springs, Northern Territori. She is from the Eastern Anmatyerre group and her country is Alhalkere.

Gracie is daughter of traditional artist Myrtle Petyarre and niece of Kathleen Petyarre and Gloria Petyarre. She has always lived the central desert traditional lifestyle, collecting bush food and living off the land.

Gracie Pwerle Morton gained recognition as an artist working with batik, exhibiting her work with Utopia women in Australia and overseas. Her earlier works are quite typical of “Utopia Art”, much line work depicting body-paint designs, with traditional symbols in dots.

In 1988 Gracie started painting on canvas using acrylic paint. This allowed for progressive development of her skills as an artist. Gracie’s style evolved into the highly detailed spectrum. She specialises in painting the Bush Plum (Arnwekety).

In her painting Gracie depicts an aerial view of a section of her country that is abundant with bush plum. Her perception of desert world relates directly to the food her country offers, and to her role as a food gatherer. The women of Alhalkere believe that the spiritual powers give their country the strength and fertility to grow abundant bush food. The spiritual strength is also given to the women who learn the social code that they must abide by the order to nurture themselves and their off-springs into maturity.

Collections:

Gracie’s works have been exhibited throughout Australia and around the world. Collections in

· National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

· Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide

· Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

· Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin

· Art Bank, Sydney

· National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

· Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth

                                                 Gracie Pwerle Morton

You are welcome to visit the art gallery to view Gracie Pwerle Morton and other aboriginal artists artwork on Linen/Canvas, Boomerang, Coolamon, Didgeridoo and Pottery at: KARLANGU ABORIGINAL ART CENTRE, 47 York Street, Sydney, 2000, New South Wales, Australia