Soakages by Lena Pwerle (SOLD)

Breathtaking. This piece has it all. Unique colour combinations of turquoise, citrus, lush green and lilac. Clusters of soakages sweep across the canvas and mix into one another. White and cream enliven and soften. As close to a Utopia Lane favourite as we can have.

This painting has been hand painted by Lena Pwerle of Utopia, Central Australia. Circular designs in this painting represent soakages (or waterholes) that are spread across her land in the Utopia Region. Lena says that these soakages, now all dried and used up, had plenty of water in them long ago, even when she was growing up, providing her people with a much needed water supply. With their intimate knowledge of the land, Lena’s people knew how and where to find them in the harsh desert environment.

“Long time [ago] olden time mob get their little coolamon (bowl), they check them [soakages] – proper good one water! They been find ‘em under the ground. My grandmother taught me where to find ‘em. They dry now, they finish. They [my people] drink bore water now” - Lena Pwerle

Artist

Name: Lena Pwerle
Skin name: Pwerle (also spelled Pula)
Language group: Anmatyerre
Country: Ahalpere
Region: Utopia, Central Australia
Born: 1934
Read Lena Pwerle's full bio »

Related Content

'What is a Soakage?'
Soakages exhibition I Lena Pwerle - 15 Oct - 16 Dec 2015 
Soakages Sequel exhibition I Lena Pwerle - 16 Sep - 12 Nov 16
Boss Woman exhibition | Lena Pwerle - 1 Sep - 29 Oct 2017

• Medium: Synthetic polymer paint on Belgian linen
• Size of painting: 120cm x 120cm with approx 6cm black border
• Background colour: Black
• Linen border: Approx 2cm strip of black border designed to be wrapped around a 2cm deep stretcher frame. Plus approx 6cm of natural coloured linen overhang.
• This painting comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and artist profile.
• This painting comes unstretched and rolled in a tube.