Galya Pwerle

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Galya is the youngest of the Pwerle sisters, born in around 1925 in the remote Utopia station community (350km north east of Alice Springs)

Galya Pwerle is sister to Emily Pwerle, Molly Pwerle and the hugely successful Aboriginal artist Minnie Pwerle – Togther known as “The Pwerle Sisters”. Galya is also the aunt of acclaimed artist Barbara Weir (Minnie Pwerle’s daughter).

Throughout 2004, Barbara Weir organised a workshop for the sisters, where they produced an amazing body of works. Occasionally they would collaborate on one artwork together.

Like her sisters, Galya’s paintings depict traditional women’s ceremonies known as “Awelye Atnwengerrp” which is broadly translated as Women’s Dreaming. Although all the sisters share the same Dreaming, each one has their own completely unique interpretation of the Dreaming.

The bold expressive lines in Galya’s paintings are said to represent body paint designs, dancing tracks made in the sand during women’s ceremonies and sacred places where the ceremonies take place.