Biography

Gracie Morton Pwerle is from Utopia. She is the daughter of artist Myrtle Petyarre who is the sister of Gloria Petyarre. She was born in 1956 in Utopia, about 250 km northeast of Alice Springs. Her family's traditional country (Alhalkere) is associated with the Mosquito Bore (Lyentye) region, a remote resort in Utopia where Gracie, with her husband and two children, moved a few years ago. Gracie began her painting career in the 1980s in Utopia, first working with batik, before transposing her creations onto canvas. His paintings are minimalist, highlighted by delicate dots and a traditional palette derived from the colors of natural ochres. Its most commonly depicted subject is the wild plum known to the Alyawarre people as Arnwekety.

Mosquito Bore in the Utopia consists of about 6 or 7 small houses but is home to many of Australia's famous Aboriginal artists. Gracie's family and neighbors include Gloria Petyarre, Ronnie Price, Louis Pwerle and Rita Ngale. While working in Batik, Gracie produced many quality works and her move to acrylic on canvas allowed her to gradually develop her own style.

Collections : National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Robert Holmes à Court-Sammlung, Perth, Australia Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia Art Bank, Sydney, Australia