D.O.B: 1959 – 2019
LANGUAGE GROUP: Anmatyerre & Alyawarre
COMMUNITY: Utopia, NT

Katie Petyarre Morgan is an emerging Aboriginal artist living in Utopia. Her country is Karrajung and her language is Anmatyarre & Alyawarre. Katie has been painting on canvas since the 1980s and was involved in the batik projects of the 1970s. Her sister Janie Morgan is also an artist. Their father is Wallaby Kngwarreye Morgan & their mother was Lena Pwerle. They are close to

their aunt and stepmother, the artist Lizzie Pwerle and her family.

Katie’s Dreaming is the Bush Orange or Wild Orange. Katie paints intricate and varied dots across the canvas that represent the Bush Orange plant, its flowers and fruits, from an aerial perspective. These beautiful organic cosmic-like creations, demonstrate Katie’s spiritual connection with her culture and country. Katie also paints the Kangaroo Dreaming.

Bush Orange is also known in Alyawarre as Atwakee. Once abundant but now scarce due to over grazing, this species was a stable source of bush tucker for Aboriginals. The fragrant small fruit hangs on long stalks and is green when unripe turning yellow or reddish in maturity. The fruit has a tough outer skin allowing the fruit to remain unspoilt for lengthy periods of time.

The physical creation of this Dreaming is an important part of the bush tucker ceremonies conducted by the women of Utopia. Artworks such as Bush Orange Dreaming ensure the continuation of an ancient and rich cultural heritage while acknowledging the close bond still retained by the artist to her country.

 

EXHIBITIONS:

2012 Winner City of Hobart Art Prize 2012 medium of paint, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, TAS.

2012 Colour of Dreaming, group exhibition, ARAART, Seoul, South Korea.

2012 Night Sky, group exhibition, DACOU Melbourne, VIC.

2011  Emerging Artists: Another Group DACOU VIC Perspective exhibition, Melbourne, VIC.

2010  Group exhibition Fresh from Utopia, DACOU, Melbourne, VIC.

2009 Utopia, Colours of the Desert, Gonpyeong Art Space in conjunction with Dacou, Australian Embassy in Korea & Crossbay Gallery, Seoul, Korea.

2009  Morgan Sisters, DACOU Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.

2008 Utopia Discoveries, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne, VIC.

2008 Group exhibition EWB Elements, travelling to major cities in Australia, presented by DACOU in conjunction with Dreamtime Art and Engineers Without Borders.

2008 Group exhibition, Small Works, Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne.

2007-8 Permanent Exhibition, Dacou Gallery, Adelaide, SA.

2007 Standing on Ceremony, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA.

1990 Utopia – a Picture Story, an exhibition of 88 silk batiks from the Holmes a Court Collection by Utopia artists which toured Ireland and Scotland.

1989-91 Utopia – a Picture Story, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA.

 

COLLECTIONS:

Holmes a Court Collection
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, TAS

 

See below some of her beautiful pieces for sale: