Dreamtime Sisters, 2011 by Colleen Wallace Nungarrayi 100x80cm 14182CW

The "Dreamtime Sisters Series," 2011, by Colleen Wallace Nungarrayi, is a captivating collection of paintings inspired by the Dreamtime Sisters, or 'Irrernte-arenye,' in the Eastern Arrernte language. These benevolent spirits, believed to be the first people on earth during creation time, perform the Awelye (women's ceremony) to protect Arnumarra (country) and sacred sites.

While all paintings share the same theme, there are artistic differences and variations in colour. In this particular artwork, Colleen uses white to outline the spirits, with distinct red dots and line work rising from the shapes at the bottom of the painting. These shapes, along with the circular shape at the top, represent women’s sacred sites. Ceremonial poles placed in the middle of traditional ground designs during ceremonies symbolize the land. The dots meandering through the female spirit figures represent ancestral journeys.

Colleen’s artwork is intricate, with vibrant, colourful dots creating a backdrop for the elegant spirit figures that dance and sway. These spirits guard vital land areas, including sacred and ceremonial sites. Utilizing traditional dotting techniques from the Central and Western desert combined with fine linework, Colleen depicts the Irrernte-arenye floating above and safeguarding these sacred places. Her paintings are highly sought after for their unique style and cultural significance.

Born in 1974, Colleen Wallace is an Eastern Arrernte artist from Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa) and Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in the Northern Territory. Encouraged by her stepmother, renowned artist Kathleen Wallace, Colleen began painting in the 1990s and received permission to depict the Dreamtime Sisters. She also paints Awelye (Women's Ceremony) and Arlatyeye (Bush Yam Dreaming).

From a family of esteemed Eastern Arrernte painters, including her mother Therese Wallace and aunt Gabriella Wallace, Colleen is married to Colin Bird, son of the famous Utopia artist Ada Bird Petyarre. They have five children together. This series illustrates ancestral spirits watching over and celebrating her grandfather’s country near Gemtree, north of Alice Springs, through Awelye.