Jeannie Mills Pwerle Alyawarre, b. 1965

Jeannie Mills Pwerle is a highly respected artist from Utopia and has become well recognised for her style in which she paints Anaty (desert yam or bush potato) story. Her work has been exhibited around Australia since 2004, and in 2008 her large Anaty painting was accepted in the 2008 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA), the most prestigious Aboriginal art award in Australia.

Jeannie has close family connections to some of Australia’s top names in art. Her mother is well known Utopia artist Dolly Mills Petyarre and her uncle the late Greeny Purvis Petyarre, a finalist in the 21st NATSIAA. Her great aunt is the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye. It is quite evident that through these influences, Jeannie began to paint and bring her own dynamic style to the world of Aboriginal Art.

Jeannie lives a traditional life at Utopia as a ngangker (traditional healer or doctor) providing advice, bush medicines and applications to people of her community. She lives in Ahalpere country with senior elder Lena Pwerle, and the two are heavily involved in educating and encouraging other women to participate in painting, exhibitions and culture.