Dolly Mills Petyarre

Dolly Petyarre Mills was born in 1948 at Boundary Bore Outstation on Utopia Community in the Northern Territory and her language group is Alyawarr. Dolly lives with her sister, Gloria (Glory) Petyarre Mills, at Boundary Bore and are full sisters to Greeny Petyarre Purvis (passed away in 2010). She is widely recognised as one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal artists and has work in major Australian and international collections.

The delicate patterning and subtle colours of Dolly’s work depicts her country of Alhalker situated in the Utopia region north east of Alice Springs. She participated in the Utopia, A Picture Story which included 88 silk batiks from Robert Holmes a Court collection. This confirmed the artistic credibility of the Utopian artists.

The major subject of her work is in association with the Yam (Anaty) Dreaming and Emu Tucker (Ankerr) Dreaming.

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Bibliography:

Brody, A., 1989, Utopia Women's Paintings: the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-89, exhib. cat., Heytesbury Holdings, Perth. (C)
Brody, A., 1990, Utopia: A Picture Stoy, 88 silk Batiks from the Robert Holmes a Court Collection, Heytesbury Holdings Ltd, Perth. (C)

Collections:

Robert Holmes a Court collection, Perth

Exhibitions:

1984 - The First National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
1985 - The Second National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin
1989 - Utopia Women's Paintings, the First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988-89, S. H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
1990 - 'Utopia - A Picture Story,' an exhibition of 88 works on silk from the Holmes a Court Collection by Utopia artists which toured Eire and Scotland
1992 - Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
2003 - Sofitel Melbourne, World Vision Australia – Walkabout Art
2005 - Bett Hobart Gallery
2006 - Senior Women of Utopia, GalleryG, Brisbane
2007 - Patterns of Power, Art from the Eastern Desert, Simmer on the Bay, Sydney
2007 - Eastern Desert Dreaming, Artists from Utopia, GalleryG, Brisbane
2007 - Desert Song, Brush with Art Festival, Prairie Hotel, Parachilna, SA
2008 - Power of Place, Tandanya: National Aboriginal Cultural Institute Inc.
2008 - From the Desert to the Sea, Yurlunggar Art, Brisbane
2010: The Utopia Story, Australasian Arts Projects, Singapore
2010: Western and Eastern Desert Art, Blaxlands Inn, Hunter Valley, NSW
2010: Aboriginal Artists UK Spring Show 11-13 June, London