COLLEEN WALLACE NUNGARRAYI (NUNGARI) - Dreamtime Sisters

Colleen Wallace Nungarrayi is an Eastern Arrernte artist who grew up between Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) and Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in the Northern Territory. She comes from a distinguished family of Eastern Arrernte painters, including her stepmother, the celebrated Keringke artist Kathleen Kemarre Wallace, and her aunt Gabriella Wallace. A self-taught painter, Colleen began working in the early 1990s under Kathleen's guidance. Today she lives in the Utopia region with her husband Colin Bird, an accomplished painter and the son of the renowned Ada Bird Petyarre, and her work has been shown across Australia and internationally.

Awelye (Women's Dreaming) — Awelye refers to the women's ceremonies that honour Country, ancestors and the wellbeing of the community. In these gatherings the women paint their bodies with ochre designs and perform the songs and dances tied to their sites. Colleen marks the ceremony in warm yellow and red ochre tones that echo the paint worn on skin during Awelye.

Bush Seeds — The bush seed story belongs to the women's tradition of gathering and preparing food from the desert. After good rain the native grasses and shrubs set seed, which the women collect, winnow and grind into flour for damper. Colleen's dotting maps the places these seeds are found and celebrates the abundance the land provides.

Bush Yam (Arlatyeye) — The Arlatyeye, or Pencil Yam, is an edible tuberous plant that grows through the Utopia region. Its vine and flower spread across the ground while the yams lie hidden beneath, shown in Colleen's work as concentric circles that mark where they can be dug. The women honour the spirit of the yam in ceremony. Colleen was given permission to paint this Dreaming by her grandfather, the senior artist Kenny Tilmouth Panangka.

Dreamtime Sisters — Colleen's most celebrated works, the Dreamtime Sisters, are called Irrernte-arenye in Eastern Arrernte. These ancestral spirits are among the first beings of the Creation, and their role is to watch over Country, guide the people and guard sacred and ceremonial sites. Colleen paints them in luminous colour and fine, intricate dotting, often shown rising and floating above the land they protect.

Colleen's paintings blend traditional story with a vibrant, contemporary use of colour, and her work is held in collections across Australia and overseas. This painting was purchased directly from Colleen, and a gallery certificate of authenticity will be provided with the sale.