Polly Ngale

Bush Plum Dreaming (Arnwekety)  |  64h x 50w  |  RK680

Not framed or stretched  |  Acrylic on canvas

Polly Ngale (c 1936-2022) was born into the Anmatyarr tribe. She was married to Ray Yeramba and lived at Camel Camp on Utopia with her family and sisters, Kathleen and Maisy Ngale and Angeline Pwerle Ngale. She often assisted her sister Kathleen and also the late Emily Kngwarreye Kame with whom she shared the same country. Arlparra is her country from her father’s side and her mother came from Ngwelay, commonly known as Kurrajong Bore.

Like many of the women in Utopia, Polly began her artistic career in batik before venturing into painting with acrylic paints on canvas. In the 1980s the availability of acrylic paint caused a movement toward painting canvas of which Polly was an active participant.

Polly was considered one of the most accomplished painters from the Utopia region and is inspired by the Arnwetky (or conkerberry) - a green tangled, spiny shrub that produces fragrant white flowers. After the summer rains tiny green berries begin to grow and ripen, changing colour over the weeks from light green to pinks and browns to yellow, to shades of red and purple when they finally ripen. The fruits very much resemble a plum and is often referred to in English as a 'bush plum'.

Her work is featured in a number of important collections in both Australia and overseas.

Please Note: This Artist passed away in 2022 and out of respect for Aboriginal culture, we have removed the photograph of this Artist holding this artwork from our website.