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This painting has been hand painted by Lena Pwerle of Utopia, Central Australia. Circular designs 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
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 »
'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 17
Lena exhibition | 21 Sep - 3 Dec 18
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Catalogue number: SP0417
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"A two and a half hour drive from Alice Springs, up the Sandover Highway and deep into Central Australia's remote Utopia region, will get you to Arlparra Store where elder Lena Pwerle lives in a small humpy.
The humpy is made of corrugated tin and held up by branches, boxes and rope. It fits three mattresses atop steel bed frames; one for herself, her sister Rosie and her daughter Nora. "
“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."
