Barbara Weir / Mother Country

This painting was done by the artist in 2007 with acrylic paint on linen.

Barbara Weir is one of the most collected, travelled and published indigenous artist with an international reputation making it into the ‘TOP100 List’ of Indigenous artists. This painting “My Country” depicts an area 370 km’s north-east of Alice Springs in Central Australia. 

The title of this painting refers to the country on which Barbara grew up. It is therefore larded with memories, some of them very poignant. Referring to 'armorphic shapes' in this painting, Robin Usher suggested " These shapes are the areas where she has over painted to conceal symbols of sacred story that are painted beneath and not meant to be seen. Such areas refer to secret abandoned campsites that people made as they trekked across the country in search of food, women's coolamons used to collect fruit and berries and/or forms of women's body that are adorned with paint for ceremony. Sometimes she incorporates the linear patterns to represent women's body designs - stripes that are traditionally applied to breasts, arms and legs for ceremonies known as Awelye.

Read about Barbara's emergence as a significant Indigenous Artist