Medecine Leaves, 2022

Jeannie Petyarre  

Jeannie Petyarre (Pitjara) was born on the lands of the Utopia community between 1950 and 1957 and died in December 2022.

The artistic history in this area of the central desert begins with a batik project. This was in the late 1970s. Ten years later, the Utopia artists transferred their ancestral motifs onto canvas. Jeannie was part of these early artistic projects.

This makes sense when you consider that many members of her family are very famous artists, and not just in Australia. Her aunt, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, was the most famous Australian artist.
Her cousins, the Petyarre sisters (including Gloria, Kathleen, Ada Bird, Nancy, Violet), but also her sister, Rosemary Petyarre and her half-siblings, Greeny Purvis Petyarre and Evelyn Pultara, are well known to art lovers.
Jeannie's tribal name is "Angiltha," meaning little lizard. While the Moloch Lizard is one of her sources of inspiration for painting, as are body paintings, the most popular subject is the yam (associated with the Alhalkere site – the yam seed, the yam leaf, the flowers). Jeannie depicts various stages of the plant's growth and its parts, including the seeds, leaves, and flowers. The plant is used for its medicinal properties, which can be used to treat various ailments, including wounds and bites.

Her works are characterized by vibrant motifs, celebrating the spirit of the yam plant, which regenerates each year. "Bush Medicine" refers to the process of mixing various fruits and plants with animal fats to create medicines. But the yam is also an important food source.

Collections: The National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, The Holmes a Court Collection, Perth.