Minnie Pwerle 1909 - 2005
Represented by:
SmithDavidson Gallery
Minnie Pwerle was a renowned Australian First Nations artist from Utopia in the Northern Territory. A proud custodian of the Anmatyerre and Alyawarre language groups, Minnie’s cultural heritage was central to both her life and art. She was born near the Utopia cattle station and raised her family in close connection with her community and traditions, including her daughter, artist Barbara Weir.
Minnie’s artistic journey began in the late 1970s with the Utopia women’s batik project, which empowered local artists and laid the groundwork for a vibrant painting movement. Though she began experimenting with painting on canvas in the 1980s, it wasn’t until 1999, at around 80 years old, that Minnie’s career truly flourished. Her works, inspired by ceremonial body painting and Dreamings, featured expressive lines, bold colors, and fluid compositions. Distinct from the dot-painting techniques of Western Desert art, Minnie’s style brought a fresh, contemporary vision to First Nations painting. Her art was deeply rooted in ancient traditions like sand and rock art, yet she reimagined these forms with a powerful modern sensibility.
Visit our website smith-davidson.com for more information.
Minnie’s artistic journey began in the late 1970s with the Utopia women’s batik project, which empowered local artists and laid the groundwork for a vibrant painting movement. Though she began experimenting with painting on canvas in the 1980s, it wasn’t until 1999, at around 80 years old, that Minnie’s career truly flourished. Her works, inspired by ceremonial body painting and Dreamings, featured expressive lines, bold colors, and fluid compositions. Distinct from the dot-painting techniques of Western Desert art, Minnie’s style brought a fresh, contemporary vision to First Nations painting. Her art was deeply rooted in ancient traditions like sand and rock art, yet she reimagined these forms with a powerful modern sensibility.
Visit our website smith-davidson.com for more information.
Artworks
Articles
Media
Highlights
Recommendations
Collections
Shows
Market position
CV
Artworks by Minnie Pwerle
Media
Minnie Pwerle at work
Shows
In museum collection:
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Market position
Minnie’s work is celebrated worldwide and held in major collections, including the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She was a finalist of the 2005 Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, and this same year, she was named by Art Collector as “one of Australia’s 50 most collectible artists”.
Her work was on view at the shows 'Treasures of the Spirit' and 'Standing on Ceremony' in 2007 at the Tandanya Cultural Institute in Australia. Minnie's paintings were also exhibited at various galleries and other major institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, San Antonio Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum, the National Museum of Australia, and the Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture in Switzerland.
Until her passing in 2006, she remained a prolific painter, leaving a lasting legacy through her art and the continued creativity of her daughter, Barbara Weir, and the Utopia community.
Her work was on view at the shows 'Treasures of the Spirit' and 'Standing on Ceremony' in 2007 at the Tandanya Cultural Institute in Australia. Minnie's paintings were also exhibited at various galleries and other major institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, San Antonio Museum of Art, Portland Art Museum, the National Museum of Australia, and the Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture in Switzerland.
Until her passing in 2006, she remained a prolific painter, leaving a lasting legacy through her art and the continued creativity of her daughter, Barbara Weir, and the Utopia community.
CV
Selected Collections
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Queensland National Gallery, Queensland, Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
La Trobe University Collection, Sydney, Australia
Kelton Foundation, California, USA
Thomas Vroom Collection, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Corrigan Collection, London, United Kingdom
Kreglinger Collection, Antwerp, Belgium
AMP Art Collection, Sydney, Australia
Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne, Australia
Fred Torres Collection, Australia
Pat Corrigan Art Collection, Australia
Gillian & Watson McAllister Collection, Sydney, Australia
Mbantua Collection, Alice Springs, Australia
The Luzco Family Collection, USA
Jacqui McPhee Collection, Perth, Australia
Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo, Australia
Dalrymple Community Cultural Centre Trust Collection, Charters Towers, Australia
Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture, Motiers, Switzerland
John McBride Collection, USA
Selected Exhibitions
2025 - 'Dreaming in Color: Works by Australian First Nations Artists', online exhibition, SmithDavidson Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2023/24 - 'Utopia in Colours', Musee de l'art aborigene australien, Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture, Motiers, Switzerland
2022 - 'Connection', National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia
2022 - 'Ngawiya Ngubadi', The Sidney Nolan Trust, The Rodd, Herefordshire, United Kingdom
2021 - Solo: 'Remembering Minnie | 15 years on', Artmob, Hobart, Australia
2019 - 'Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art', SmithDavidson Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019 - 'Desert Colours: Central Australian painting from the Collection', Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2018 - Mercedes Me x Pwerle Gallery Art Exhibition, Mercedes Me, Melbourne, Australia
2017 - 'Of Country and Culture: The Lam Collection of Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art', San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, USA
2016 - 'Utopia; Abstract Expressionism from the Desert', SmithDavidson Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2014 - 'Dreaming Art Centre of Utopia', DACOU Dreaming, Adelaide, Australia
2012 - 'Art & Interior – Modern Aboriginal Art', Wolterinck Laren, Laren, The Netherlands
2009 - 'Indigenous Australian Painting', Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
2009 - 'Utopia - Colours of the Desert', Gongpyeong Art Space in conjunction with DACOU, Australian Embassy in Korea and Crossbay Gallery, Seoul, Korea Emily and Her Legacy, Hillside Gallery, Tokyo, with Coo-ee Art Sydney in conjunction with the landmark retrospective exhibition 'Utopia - the Genius of Emily Kngwarreye' at the National Art Centre, Tokyo
2007 - 'Treasures of the Spirit', Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide, Australia
2007 - 'Standing on Ceremony', Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide, Australia
2007 - Australian Embassy, Washington, USA
2003 - 'Art from the Dreamtime', Portland Art Museum, Portland, USA
2002 - Solo: 'Awelye Atnwengerrp', DACOU Gallery, Adelaide, Australia
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Queensland National Gallery, Queensland, Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
La Trobe University Collection, Sydney, Australia
Kelton Foundation, California, USA
Thomas Vroom Collection, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Corrigan Collection, London, United Kingdom
Kreglinger Collection, Antwerp, Belgium
AMP Art Collection, Sydney, Australia
Hank Ebes Collection, Melbourne, Australia
Fred Torres Collection, Australia
Pat Corrigan Art Collection, Australia
Gillian & Watson McAllister Collection, Sydney, Australia
Mbantua Collection, Alice Springs, Australia
The Luzco Family Collection, USA
Jacqui McPhee Collection, Perth, Australia
Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo, Australia
Dalrymple Community Cultural Centre Trust Collection, Charters Towers, Australia
Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture, Motiers, Switzerland
John McBride Collection, USA
Selected Exhibitions
2025 - 'Dreaming in Color: Works by Australian First Nations Artists', online exhibition, SmithDavidson Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2023/24 - 'Utopia in Colours', Musee de l'art aborigene australien, Fondation Burkhardt-Felder Arts et Culture, Motiers, Switzerland
2022 - 'Connection', National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia
2022 - 'Ngawiya Ngubadi', The Sidney Nolan Trust, The Rodd, Herefordshire, United Kingdom
2021 - Solo: 'Remembering Minnie | 15 years on', Artmob, Hobart, Australia
2019 - 'Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art', SmithDavidson Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019 - 'Desert Colours: Central Australian painting from the Collection', Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
2018 - Mercedes Me x Pwerle Gallery Art Exhibition, Mercedes Me, Melbourne, Australia
2017 - 'Of Country and Culture: The Lam Collection of Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art', San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, USA
2016 - 'Utopia; Abstract Expressionism from the Desert', SmithDavidson Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2014 - 'Dreaming Art Centre of Utopia', DACOU Dreaming, Adelaide, Australia
2012 - 'Art & Interior – Modern Aboriginal Art', Wolterinck Laren, Laren, The Netherlands
2009 - 'Indigenous Australian Painting', Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
2009 - 'Utopia - Colours of the Desert', Gongpyeong Art Space in conjunction with DACOU, Australian Embassy in Korea and Crossbay Gallery, Seoul, Korea Emily and Her Legacy, Hillside Gallery, Tokyo, with Coo-ee Art Sydney in conjunction with the landmark retrospective exhibition 'Utopia - the Genius of Emily Kngwarreye' at the National Art Centre, Tokyo
2007 - 'Treasures of the Spirit', Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide, Australia
2007 - 'Standing on Ceremony', Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide, Australia
2007 - Australian Embassy, Washington, USA
2003 - 'Art from the Dreamtime', Portland Art Museum, Portland, USA
2002 - Solo: 'Awelye Atnwengerrp', DACOU Gallery, Adelaide, Australia
Free Magazine Subscription
Articles, interviews, shows & events. Delivered to your mailbox weekly.