Ada Bird Petyarre
Ada Bird Petyarre - Women's Business
Ada was born c1930 in the Utopia area of her country Arnangkere, and passed away recently in 2009. Ada Bird was an Anmatyerre speaker and a senior woman at Utopia.
Her dreamings were shared with her large family of sisters and cousins including, Gloria Petyarre, Jeannie Petyarre and Kathleen Petyarre.
She commenced her artistic career in batiks in the 1970’s and began painting in 1988.
Ada’s best known works feature the “paint up” of women’s bodies during ceremonies.
The women paint one another while singing the dreaming and Ada portrayed this in her signature bold, colourful style.
Ada’s legacy is her body of work plus 6 children and up to 40 grandchildren and great grandchildren. She will be remembered as a family matriarch and a great representative painter of her culture.
Widely collected and highly collectable.