1981
Language Group:Alyawarre
Country:Arawerre (Soapy Bore), Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas and Linen
Subjects:Iy-lenky-la (Small Earth Worm), Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Tharrkarr (Sweet Honey Grevillea), Irreyakwerre (Wild Onion) Dreaming, Ntyeny Ngkwarl (Red Mallee Flower), Women's Dreaming, Bush Tucker, Iy-lenky-la (Small Earth Worm) and Irreyakwerre (Wild
Loretta Jones Petyarre belongs to a strong family of artists. She grew up at Arawerre (Soapy Bore) which is in the Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs. Her mother, Gypsy Jones, has been an artist for a long time and Loretta would have probably been taught to paint and gained knowledge about the stories she paints by Gypsy and other ladies in her community.
Loretta has five sisters and four brothers (Jilly, Sandra, Agnes, Rhonda, Lilly, Anthony, Robert, Denny and Kevin), most of whom paint as well. She continues to live in the Utopia region with her extended family.
Artist: Loretta Jones Petyarre
Size: 45 x 30cm
Title: Iy-lenky-la (Small Earth Worm)
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Year Painted: 2023
Iy-lenky-la (Small Earth Worm)
Loretta is painting the story of small earthworms found in her country. Pronounced Iy-lenky-la in Loretta's language, this creature is represented in her painting by the concentric circle designs. She, Iy-lenky-la, is asleep in the centre and then unwinds herself around and around. Iy-lenky-la is special to Loretta as the story belongs to the women of her country, Arawerre.
