Anjurra Petyarre

Anjurra Petyarre is part of an exciting new generation of artists who are using their creative practice to uphold family, culture, and Country. She carries a remarkable artistic lineage: she is the eldest daughter of celebrated artist Charmaine Pwerle, the granddaughter of the late Barbara Weir, and the great-granddaughter of the iconic Minnie Pwerle. Three generations of women before her have made profound contributions to the story of contemporary Aboriginal art, and Anjurra now steps forward to continue that legacy in her own developing voice.

Born in Darwin and raised in Alice Springs, Anjurra grew up in a world shaped by artmaking, ceremony, and cultural responsibility. Her name, Anjurra, means "grass" in Anmatyerre - a plant of deep significance - while her Aboriginal (bush) name, Illengenarrenek, was gifted to her by her great-grandfather, anchoring her in family identity. She belongs to the Alyawarre and Anmatyerre language groups and is connected to her grandmother's Country of Atnwengerrp, in the Utopia region approximately 230 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs.

From childhood, she was encouraged to paint by her grandmother Barbara Weir, who passed down Dreamings alongside her mother Charmaine. After Barbara's passing, painting became an even more powerful way for Anjurra to maintain connection - to her grandmother, to her heritage, and to the stories entrusted to her. She has participated in cultural ceremonies with her family at Atnwengerrp, carrying with her the pride, respect and responsibility instilled by the women who raised her.

Today, Anjurra paints her grandmother's Country as well as Awelye, drawing upon the visual memory, movement, and deep cultural knowledge she absorbed throughout her life. Still early in her artistic journey, she is confidently experimenting - a quality shared by her mother and especially her grandmother - exploring mark-making, rhythm, and detail as she begins to shape her own artistic language. With innate talent, a sure hand, and a profound grounding in culture, Anjurra is a rising artist whose practice will continue to evolve, strengthen, and honour the legacy of the extraordinary women before her.

Copyright Kate Owen Gallery, November 2025