Minnie Pwerle was born in the Utopia region in approximately 1910. Utopia is located 270km northeast of Alice Springs on the eastern perimeter of the Western Desert next to the traditional land of the Eastern Anmatyarre and Alyawarre people. As one of 6 six children she enjoyed a colourful childhood, later becoming the mother of 7 children.

Minnie's career as an artist began with Aboriginal ceremony and ritual with her appointment as a body painter during Women's ceremonies. Body paint designs are worn to represent Dreamings and various symbols are specific to particular rituals. Minnie started painting batiks in the 1980's completing works for the Robert Holmes a Court Collection. She only began to paint on canvas in 1999, when after watching others paint in the Adelaide workshop of her grandson Fred Torres, she was asked if she would try her own hand.

Minnie's main Dreamings are "Awelye-Atnwengerrp" (Women's Dreaming), "Bush Melon" and "Bush Melon Seed". Her principal subject is the bush melon (Awelye). It is a food source that the artist interprets as providing both physical nourishment and spiritual sustenance. Her paintings tell the story of this sweet fruit that comes from a very small bush and is only found in Atnwengerrp. Once very abundant and fruiting in the summer season, the bush melon is now very hard to find. Minnie and the other women used to collect this fruit (which was green in colour and ripened to a brown colour) and scrape out the small black seeds. They would then eat the fruit immediately or cut it into small pieces, which were skewered and dried ready to be eaten in the months when bush tucker was scarce. Awelye-Atnwengerrp is depicted by a series of lines painted in different widths and colours. This pattern represents the lines painted on the top half of the women's bodies during ceremonies in their country of Atnwengerrp. Bush Melon is depicted using a linear design of curves, circles, and breast designs in different colours creating a very loose and bold design, while Bush Melon Seed is big and small patches of colour strewn across the canvas.

As the mother of Barbara Weir, also a well know Aboriginal artist, it is clear that Minnie has successfully passed on her talent. Her contributions to the Aboriginal art movement have been invaluable, as a respected elder of her community her work offers insight in to the spiritual world of the Australian Aborigine, whilst providing visual art lovers with a striking, and highly unique collection of works to enjoy.

In the Australian Art Collector (Jan-March 2004 & 2005) Minnie was declared one of Australia's 50 most collectible artists.

Selected Exhibitions

2005
Australian Art Exhibition,Taksu Gallery, Jakarta(in conjunction with Austrade)
The Women's Show 2005, Vivien Anderson Gallery, Melbourne
Utopia Revealed, Japingka Gallery, Perth
The Dark and The Light (exhibition series) , Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane

2004
Minnie Pwerle & Mitjili Napurrula , Japingka Gallery, Perth
Lines IV, Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

2003
Minnie Pwerle, Original & Authentic Aboriginal Art, Melbourne
Light Over Utopia", Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
Walkabout Gallery, Sydney, NSW

2002
Generations, Japingka Gallery, WA
Knut Grothe Gallery, Charlottlenlund, Copenhagen, Denmark
Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
The Utopia Six, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
United - Mother and Daughter, Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne, VIC
Urban Wineworks Gallery, Portland, USA
In The Cove, Carriage House Gallery, Portland, USA

2001
Women Artists of the Australian Desert, group exhibition, Auckland, New Zealand
Painting Country, group exhibition, Tandanya, Adelaide
Desert Colour - My Country, group exhibition, Darwin NT
Minnie Pwerle, Mary Pantjiti McLean-Tumaru Purlykumunu, Japingka Gallery, Perth WA
Women Artists of the Australian Desert, Auckland, NZ
Desert Colour - My Country, Darwin, NT
Out of Utopia, (in conjunction with daughter Barbara Weir), Canberra, ACT
Women Artists of the Australian Desert, Group Exhibition, Auckland, NZ
Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT

Articles

50 of Australia's most Collectible artists, Australian Art Collector (Issue 27) Jan-Mar 2004, pg 97
All in the Family, Weekend Australian, by Susan McCulloch, 8-9 November 2003
Minnie Pwerle-Bush Melon Stories, Australian Art Collector (Issue 22) Oct-Dec 2002, pg176

Selected Collections

AMP Collection
John McBride Collection
Hank Ebes Collection
Fred Torres Collection
National Gallery of Victoria
Queensland Art Gallery