Nancy Kunoth Petyarr
Artist Statement
NANCY KUNOTH PETYARR 1934 -
Region: North Eastern Central Australia
Residence: Atneltyeye, Utopia
Country: Atnangkere
Language: Anmatyerr
Nancy is one of the noted Petyarr
sisters who are highly regarded as
fine painters. Both Nancy’s sisters,
Gloria Petyarr and Kathleen Petyarr,
are well recognised on the
international art stage. Nancy was
part of the original art movement at
Utopia, participating in the batik
project in the 1980s. Both her daughter
Elizabeth Kunoth and grand-daughter,
Genevieve Loy are also painters.
Nancy paints the Mountain Devil Dreaming, also known as the Thorny Devil. She depicts the journey of the little lizard along the dreamline. It changes colour as it travels from dawn to dusk and this helps it to travel undetected. Nancy’s paintings are also based on women’s ceremonial body paint designs, Awelye; the translation to canvas offering a further aesthetic appreciation of an art tradition grown from one of the world’s oldest living cultures.
Nancy was involved with the batik project held in Utopia in the late 1970s and into the 1980s including the exhibition of batik silks now in the Holmes a Court collection, Perth. She also created painted and carved wooden sculptures in the 1980s. Nancy began painting with acrylic on canvas when this was introduced by the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) in the late 1980s.
Region: North Eastern Central Australia
Residence: Atneltyeye, Utopia
Country: Atnangkere
Language: Anmatyerr
Nancy is one of the noted Petyarr
sisters who are highly regarded as
fine painters. Both Nancy’s sisters,
Gloria Petyarr and Kathleen Petyarr,
are well recognised on the
international art stage. Nancy was
part of the original art movement at
Utopia, participating in the batik
project in the 1980s. Both her daughter
Elizabeth Kunoth and grand-daughter,
Genevieve Loy are also painters.
Nancy paints the Mountain Devil Dreaming, also known as the Thorny Devil. She depicts the journey of the little lizard along the dreamline. It changes colour as it travels from dawn to dusk and this helps it to travel undetected. Nancy’s paintings are also based on women’s ceremonial body paint designs, Awelye; the translation to canvas offering a further aesthetic appreciation of an art tradition grown from one of the world’s oldest living cultures.
Nancy was involved with the batik project held in Utopia in the late 1970s and into the 1980s including the exhibition of batik silks now in the Holmes a Court collection, Perth. She also created painted and carved wooden sculptures in the 1980s. Nancy began painting with acrylic on canvas when this was introduced by the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) in the late 1980s.