Anna Price Petyarre (Pitjara) was born in 1965. A very talented artist, Anna is the daughter of the late Glory Ngarla and niece to Kudditji Kngwarreye. Her country is Alhalkere and her language is Anmatyerre. Anna paints Yam, Wildflowers, Emu, Wild Potato and Campsite Dreamings. Earlier in her career, Anna depicted these Dreamings using a bright, bold linear style or intricate dot work with very small blocks of colour.

Today Anna mainly paints beautiful linear dot work designs in monochromatic colours, representing her country and the yam it sustains. Anna’s paintings have been exhibited extensively throughout Australia and she is a well-established Utopia artist. She lives at Boundary Bore approximately 220 km from Alice Springs and also at Irultja to the northeast of Utopia with her sisters Susan and Jessie and brother Sandy Petyarre Hunter.

An Anmatyerre speaker, Anna is also fluent in English. She began painting in 1988 when the medium of acrylic paint on canvas and was introduced to the community of Utopia for their inaugural painting exhibition, Utopia Womens’ Paintings: The First Works on Canvas, A Summer Project for the S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney. Before this Anna produced batik. Under the careful guidance of Gloria Tamerre Petyarre, Anna began to paint her own work.

Today, Anna essentially paints the Bush Yam. This is the Dreaming of her grandfather and father’s country. Anna also paints ancient Aboriginal utensils such as the WIRA and COOLAMON. These utensils are used for carrying water, fruit, berries and even babies through the bush. Anna actively takes part in women’s ceremonies and is one of the Elders who paints the women’s bodies for the commencement of each ceremony. Technically meticulous, she takes great pride in her work and endeavours to bring the sensibility of her culture to canvas.