Polly Ngale

Artist: Polly Ngale
Skin name: Ngale 
Language group: Anmatyerre 
Country: Ahalpere 
Area: Utopia Region, Central Australia
Born: c. 1936 

Polly Ngale is considered one of the most accomplished painters to have come from Utopia. As with many Utopia women, Polly was first introduced to the medium of batik in the late 1980's before commencing painting in the 1990's. Now an elder in her community, Polly’s paintings portray the Anwekety (Conkerberry) Dreaming, of which she and sister Kathleen Ngale are senior custodians.

Like Kathleen, Polly creates her paintings by superimposing layers of dots to create multi-dimensional patterns of colour. Her paintings are borne from an intimate knowledge of country and ancestral journey. 

Her artwork has appeared in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award since 2003. Her honourable mention as a 2004 finalist was followed by representation at the Contemporary Art Fair in Paris at the Grand Palais Champs Elysees. Polly was also exhibited in the exhibition Emily Kngwarreye and her Legacy at the Hillside Forum Daikanyama Tokyo in 2008 alongside fellow Utopian Emily Kame Kngwarreye's work.