Nancy Kunoth Petyarre

Nancy Kunoth Petyarre was born sometime between c.1934 or c.1939 and sadly she passed away in August of 2009. She lived in Utopia, north east of Alice Springs in central Australia. The second eldest of the famous and prolific 'seven famous Petyarre sisters' of Utopia (Ada Bird passed away 2009), Myrtle Petyarre, Violet Petyarre, Jean Petyarre and most notably Kathleen Petyarre and Gloria Petyarre).

Nancy Kunoth Petyarre was best-known for her fine dot designs representing the skin on the back of Arnkerrthe, the Mountain Devil Lizard. She is buried next to Emily Kame Kngwarreye in a little known spot along the Sandover Highway.

It was not until she was in her forties, in the 1980s, that Nancy started painting. She worked first on batik and later on canvas. She also made carvings which have featured in many exhibitions. Her most famous works are "Mountain Devil Dreaming" and "Body Paint". Her first exhibition came when she was believed to be around 50 years old, at Sydney's S. H. Ervin Gallery as part of a group show in 1989.

Central Art has removed the artists image in respect to the Petyarre family and Aboriginal culture.

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Collections:

Museum & Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin, Australia
The National Gallery of Australia
The Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Robert Holmes à Court Collection, Western Australia in a book entitled Utopia – A Picture Story, 88 Silks batiks, 1990, Anne Brody
The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.

Exhibitions:

1989, Utopia Women’s Paintings, the First Works On Canvas, A Summer Project, 1988–89, S. H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
1989, Aboriginal Art, The Continuing Tradition, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
1990, Utopia, A Picture Story, an exhibition of 88 works on silk from the Holmes a Court Collection by Utopia artists which toured Éire and Scotland
1992, Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
1993, Central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
1994, Central Australian Aboriginal Arts and Craft Exhibition, Araluen Centre, Alice Springs
1994, Yapakurlangu Wirrkardu, Bachelor College, Tennant Creek, NT
1999, June–August, “Caring for Country – Artists of Utopia”, Tandanya, S.A
2001, Mountain Devil Lizard – Arnkerrthe, Myrtle Petyarre, Nancy Petyarre and Violet Petyarre, July Exhibition: Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs
2001, August, Seven Sisters Petyarre: Brisbane City Gallery, Brisbane
2002, August, Redback Art Utopia Women
2002, September–October, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN; 'The Cove Gallery', Portland, OR; Urban Wine Works, Portland, OR; Mary's Woods, Portland, OR
2003, June, Seven Sisters, Chrissie Cotter Gallery, Sydney
2003, Sept-Oct, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: New City Merchants, Knoxville, TN; Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN; 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, OR; Mary's Woods, Portland, OR
2003, October, Contemporary Aboriginal Art Event, Umpqua Bank in conjunction with Mbantua Gallery, Portland, Oregon USA
2003, October, Art from the Dreamtime, Portland Art Museum, Portland OR USA
2004, Aug-Sep, Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition; Portland, Nashville, Knoxville and Hartford
2005, May–June, Small Wonders’ (A collection of 1’x1’ and 1’x1½’ paintings), Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T
2004-2006 Evolution of Utopia, Mbantua Gallery Cultural Museum, Alice Springs