BARBARA WEIR

Partly raised by her aunt, Emily Kam Kngwarreye, Barbara Weir was one of the Stolen Generations, where Aboriginal children were taken from their families and placed into foster care. She was reunited with her mother in the 1960s, but it took many years to repair the bonds.

Barbara's mother, Minnie Pwerle, is widely regarded as one of Australia's most significant contemporary female artists. 

Inspired by Utopia artists, Weir began painting in 1985. 

This early work, Awelye, refers to the ceremonial body painting and associated songs, dances, and stories performed by Aboriginal women, particularly in Central Australia. It is a vital cultural practice that expresses women's connection to Country, ancestral Dreaming stories, and kinship responsibilities. Through awelye, knowledge about land, law, and women's roles is passed down through generations, maintaining spiritual and cultural continuity. 

“I paint my mother's country, the land where we live, find and prepare our food,” Weir explains. “I paint the same old stories I heard as a child, only my personal style is different.”