CHARMAINE PWERLE
Charmaine Pwerle (b. 1975)
Awelye, 2021
60 x 45cm, Acrylic on canvas.
ARTIST
Charmaine was born in Alice Springs in 1975. She has been surrounded all her life by some of the most significant artists from Utopia in the Central Desert. Charmaine Pwerle is the daughter of Barbara Weir and granddaughter of the famous artist Minnie Pwerle and is recognised as a powerful mid-career artist whose works are held in collections like the National Gallery of Victoria.
WORK
Charmaine's main inspirations are the Atnwengerrp area and Awelye (women's ceremonies and body paint). Her Awelye paintings translate traditional body-painting designs into bold, gestural canvases. Using flowing lines and circular motifs, Charmaine maps women’s stories, country, and ancestral connections, continuing a rich legacy of cultural expression through contemporary art.