Caroline Petrick Ngwarreye is an Eastern Arrernte and Alyawarr women born c 1966. Her traditional country is Irrerlirre approximately 250km north east of Alice Springs in the beautiful Harts Range. Caroline developed her artistic talents under the tutelage of her mother Jill Kelly Kemarre. Her subtle paintings of intricate patterns of dot work and splashes of colour relate to her mother’s country and stories from Irrwelty. These stories include arnwekety – conkerberry, ntange – seeds and awelye – women’s ceremony.

A drive through this country would take you through wide open plains of red sand and spinifex grass, wooded areas of mulga shrubs, whilst occasionally crossing dry sandy river beds, their banks shaded by the majestic red river gums. Rocky outcrops hide precious underground water soaks and rock holes. After a season of good rain, alpitye (bush flowers) burst out in fields of colour.