My Grandmothers Country

Dulcie Long Pwerle

Dulcie paints her Grandmothers Country. Dulcie’s paintings depict her totem ‘Bush Yam’ for which she is one of the custodians within her culture. Bush yam vegetables grow beneath the earth. The leaf-like patterns shown in her paintings depict the yam flower above the ground and pays homage to the Country of the Yam.

Dulcie Long Pwerle is an Anmatyerre woman from the Utopia region of Central Australia. She was born 1979 at Boundary Bore Outstation and is the daughter of well known Utopia artist Jeannie Petyarre.

Dulcie Long Pwerle continues the strong painting tradition of her extended family. These include Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre, Greeny Purvis Petyarre and the famous sisters, Minnie Pwerle, Emily Pwerle, Galya Pwerle and Molly Pwerle.

Dulcie Long Pwerle depicts the Bush Yam leaves story from her family’s country with rhythmic strokes and vibrant colour, characteristic of Utopian artists. Dulcie paints this story with reverence to its history. The women at Utopia maintain the ceremonial dancing and singing that ritually pays homage to the Yam plant and its important role in traditional life