Jeannie Pitjarra

Language: Anmatyerre

Country: Utopia

Jeannie Petyarre was born in the early c.1950 at Boundry Bore, an outstation at Utopia station, east of Alice Springs in Central Australia. Jeannie is a niece of the great Emily Kame Kngwarreye, sister of Rosemary Petyarre and half-sister of Evelyn Pultara and Greeny Purvis Petyarre, who passed away in 2010. Jeannie was introduced to the art of Batik in the early 1980’s. She was encouraged by Aunt Emily to continue painting her Family’s Yam Dreaming. Jeannie paints the bush yam leaves Dreaming, a Dreaming passed to her by her Aunt, Emily Kame Kngwarreye.  Bush Yams are an important element of Jeannie’s people’s bush tucker diet and some say, the leaves are also used for medicinal purposes.