Skin: Pitjara/Petyarr

Language: Anmattyerr

Region: Irrultja, Utopia region

Dreaming: Bush Medicine, bush plum, yam seed

Maisie Petyarr Bundy born in 1949 is daughter of renowned painter Polly Ngala and sister to painter Josie Petyarr Kunoth. Maisie was involved in the batik projects on Utopia in the 70s and 80s and her work on canvas today can be seen to be is linked in style to her experience in designing for batiks. Her paintings depict bush medicine, all the flora associated with it and other aspects of women’s ceremonies. She works with a brush layering colour and patterns to develop her distinct interpretation of the yam plant and body paint within the ritual of ceremony.

Maisie paints on her country of Utopia where each summer women gather to celebrate through their women’s ceremonies called Awelye. Through these ceremonies the women celebrate and encourage the season into growth and abundance. The songs, dances and body-painting are part of the education given to the young girls. Each woman is painted with body-paint lines in order of seniority and the senior women sing the story of their country, particularly the food and species that predominate and sustain life. She works with a brush layering colour to develop her own textured interpretation of the yam seed and body paint within the ritual of ceremony.