Galya Pwerle

Galya was born c1925/1930 in Irrultja/Utopia, Northern Territory of Australia.

She is the younger blood sister of acclaimed artist Minnie Pwerle and aunt of well known late artist Barbara Weir.

As a young girl, Galya worked as a nanny caring for Jock Chalmers, son of Mac Chalmers, whose parents took up the lease of MacDonald Downs Station in 1923 and later also leased Utopia Station.  Utopia Station was sold to the government in the 1970s after which it reverted to Aboriginal ownership. 

In 2004 Galya’s niece Barbara Weir, in conjunction with her son Fred Torres, organized a workshop at the Irrultja outstation where Galya and two of her sisters, Molly and Emily began painting. Regular workshops continued with the sisters painting between workshops, both collaboratively and individually. Whilst the individual designs in their collaborative pieces sit well together each artist has a unique and instantly recognizable style.

Drawing on the same Dreamings as her sisters, Galya paints the seeds of grasses, the bush tomato and the wild orange and  Women’s Ceremony or awelye, a design based on dancing tracks made in the sand. These same designs are painted on the women’s bodies before a ceremony is performed.

In the short time that Galya has been painting, her works have been exhibited in national and international galleries and have been eagerly sought after by galleries and collectors.