Billy MORTON PETYARRE - Rainbow Dreaming

ADG: 175

Billy MORTON PETYARRE

c. 1920 - 1998

Rainbow Dreaming, 1993

123 x 118cm

Billy MORTON PETYARRE

c. 1920 - 2008

Language Alyawarr

Country Utopia, Northern Territory

Community Ngkwarlerlaneme, Utopia

Subjects Men’s Ceremony, Human and animal (bird, dog, lizard)carvings from beanwood

Medium Carving, sculpture, acrylic paint on beanwood, acrylic paint on canvas/linen

Billy Morton Petyarre was a respected elder in the Ngkwarlerlaneme community, in Utopia, north east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. He was married to Mary Morton and Katie Kemarre, and father of Lucky, Ruby, Sarah, Audrey, Hazel, David, Benny, Paul and Valerie Morton.

Billy was a skilled artist and wood carver. He painted the Yerramp (Honey Ant) story and traditional, secret/scared stories related to men’s ceremonies, and carved human figures and bush animals including owls, birds, lizards and dogs from beanwood. Billy had his first solo exhibition in Sydney in 1991 and his artworks are included in the collections of public art galleries.

Solo Exhibition

1991 Utopia Art, Sydney

Group Exhibitions

2004 Colour Power- Aboriginal Art. Post 1984, National Gallery of Victoria

2001 Niagara Galleries, Melbourne

1993/4 Aratjara, Art of the First Australians, Touring: Kunstammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Dusseldorf; Hayward Gallery, London; Louisiana Museum, Humlebaek, Denmark

1991 Finalist - Eighth National Aboriginal Art Award Exhibition, Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, Darwin

Collections

Aboriginal Art Museum. The Netherlands

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales

Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise, Queensland

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria

Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, New South Wales

Riddoch Art Gallery, Mount Gambier, South Australia