Awelye

Alvira Bird

The linear designs in Alvira’s painting represent awelye (women’s ceremony and body paint designs) for Ahakeye, Alpar and Ntang Artety. These designs are painted onto the chest, breasts, arms and thighs. Powders ground from red and yellow ochre (clays), charcoal and ash are used as body paint and applied with a flat stick with soft padding. The women, represented by the ‘U’ shaped motifs, sing the songs associated with their awelye as each woman takes her turn to be ‘painted-up’.