Stephen Pengarte Berger

Stephen Berger is an Arrernte man from Alice Springs who started painting in the late 1990s during a spell in prison.

Having grown up with cousins Hetti and Rachel Perkins and Warwick Thornton, Stephen has been surrounded by art and artistic minded people his whole life. His uncle was civil rights activist Charlie Perkins, and as a child would go hunting with his large extended family around Alice Springs. He then moved to Albury, NSW and now lives on the East Coast of Australia.

Stephen's artistic narratives are drawn from the places he has visited within his Country of the Arrernte Nation. He is careful only to paint Dreamings that have been passed to him or that he has permission to paint.

His artistic style is quintessentially central desert, employing classical Aboriginal dot painting techniques. Stephen makes use of a variety of colours that he has seen on his Country, revealing the vibrancy of the region.

Stephen's 'Sand Dune's series uses wavy lines of precise dots which create a flowing depiction of these important features in the desert landscape. There can be an abundance of bush foods and water around these sites and information about what to find and where to find it is passed on from one generation to the next.

His striking 'Sun Dreaming' series tells the story of the beginning of light upon the earth and has been handed down to him through his great Grandmother, Nellie Ararka. Stephen paints these pieces with great care and is honoured to be part of this ancient Dreaming lineage and to continue to pass the story on to the next generation.

Stephen also paints the flora and fauna of his Country, as well as other features in the landscape. He explains that he paints from the very soul of his Indigenousness, interpreting what he sees back home.

Stephen has exhibited widely and was a finalist in the 2021 North East Water Art Exhibition Award. He enjoys people from all walks of life seeing his art and telling his stories through art. We look forward to what the future holds for Stephen as he continues to gain recognition from the art world and collectors alike.


Artist Statement/Artwork Story:

"The Sun Dreaming is the story of the beginning of light upon the earth as all there was beforehand was darkness. The Creator being decided to make a fire and take it across the sky from one camp to another and in doing so make light appear to those on the ground. The people were amazed as they had never seen this before. So this began the journey of the Sun Dreaming and through my great Grandmother, Nellie Ararka. I am honoured to be part of this journey."


Photo credit: The Border Mail, 2022