Billy MORTON PETYARRE - Men's Ceremony
ADG: 1385
DescriptionBilly MORTON PETYARRE
c. 1920 - 1998
Men's Ceremony, 1998
199 x 63cm, Acrylic paint on canvas
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