My Mother’s Awelye (Women’s Ceremony)

Dora Mpetyane

Dora paints the Awelye (Women’s Ceremonial Body Paint Designs) for the ancestral dreamtime stories of the Anemangkerr (Bush Melon or Tomato) which belong to her mother’s country, Atnwengerrp, in the Utopia Region. Dora inherited the permission to paint this design by her mother, renowned Aboriginal artist Minnie Pwerle (deceased).

Linear designs represent Awelye. 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 sing the songs associated with their Awelye as each woman takes her turn to be ‘painted-up’. Women perform Awelye ceremonies to demonstrate respect for their country and the total well-being and health of their community.