Kumanjayi Bird Petyarre

Kumanjayi Bird Petyarre was born c.1935 on old Utopia Station, Atnangkere country Aboriginal Art Regions of Central Australia.

Kumanjayi Bird became very well known for her batiks painted on silk and now is known for her beautiful and bold paintings done with acrylics on canvas.

The batik programme at Utopia started in 1997. Kumanjayi along with a group of other women artists was introduced to painting in acrylics in CAAMA's Summer Project in 1988. Two years later, in 1990, Kumanjayi had her first solo exhibition at Utopia Art in Sydney.

Kumanjayi Bird painted Dreamtime stories from the Atnangkere country, which she shares with her sisters: Gloria Petyarre, Kathleen Petyarre, Myrtle Petyarre and Violet Petyarre.

In 2004 she suffered a stroke and has not painted since. Sadly on the 25th June she passed away, but the Aboriginal art world will never forgot her lovely gentle personality, her kindness and beautiful smile.

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