Minnie Pwerle was born in c.1910/1920 and passed away in 2006. She commenced painting in her late eighties and almost instantly became a success story. Just five years into her career as an Aboriginal artist she was listed as one of Australia’s Top 50 “Most Collectable Artists” in the Australian Art Collector. During her brief career her paintings were steadily growing in popularity and demand for her art is as strong as ever.
First I met Minnie in the late nineties when she did her first paintings in her grandson’s workshop in Adelaide. I watched her for some time and her relatives, including her daughter Barbara Weir encouraged her to paint. Very quickly this unique older lady became famous and one could see her paintings hanging in almost every gallery in Australia snapped up in a matter of days by keen gallery owners and collectors. I stayed away from this race till the middle of 2005 when I made an offer to Barbara Weir (her daughter) to purchase her mothers paintings. I didn’t want to take part in the race for Minnie’s paintings but eventually the love for her art convinced me to give it a go and to make an offer. Most of the paintings I bought whilst Minnie was still alive and the ones I could buy from her daughter or grandchildren have been kept in my collection till now and will be displayed for the first time on my new website and some in my Coolum Beach Gallery and Exhibition Space.
Minnie Pwerle was born in c.1910/1920 and passed away in 2006. She commenced painting in her late eighties and almost instantly became a success story. Just five years into her career as an Aboriginal artist she was listed as one of Australia’s Top 50 “Most Collectable Artists” in the Australian Art Collector. During her brief career her paintings were steadily growing in popularity and demand for her art is as strong as ever.
First I met Minnie in the late... Read More