Gracie Morton

Gracie Morton Pwerle was born in approximately 1956 and is an Alyawarr woman from the Utopia region in Central Australia. She is the daughter of well known Utopian artist Myrtle Petyarre, who is the sister of famous and collectable artists Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre.
There is a rich artistic tradition that run through Gracie’s family and also the Utopian community, not only Gracie’s aunties but also her sisters, Mary, Rita and Elizabeth are also artists.
Gracie began painting in the 1980’s during the “A Summer Project”, where acrylic paints and canvas were introduced to the women of Utopia. Her artworks have been well received throughout Australia and overseas. Gracie is a senior traditional custodian of the Arnwekety (Bush Plum) Dreaming, in accordance with traditional law she is responsible for ensuring the Dreaming, customs and traditions associated with the Bush Plum. This responsibility was passed down to Gracie from her father and aunt.
Gracie’s primary depiction is Arnwekety, through her artwork she depicts the changing seasonal influences on the plant. With incredible finesse Gracie creates a wonderful lyricism in her artworks, causing a three-dimensional pull at the eye guiding the observer through the soft outward reaching fields of colour. Her delicate dotting style and colour variation depict the Bush Plum in an aerial perspective. She has a very minimalist style with an overall effect which leaves the canvas with a gentle and soft appearance.
Her artworks are represented in major private collections including the Robert Holmes a Court Collection and her artworks are exhibited regularly through various galleries in Australia. She has also been a part of international exhibitions in China, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands.
She is a second generation artist with enormous talent. I enjoy watching her style evolve and her confidence grow. Central Art has a wide collection of her beautiful artworks in an array of colours and sizes. Most are in natural dark colours as a base coat with a fine dotting overlay giving the paintings a soft and delicate feel.

COLLECTIONS
Robert Holmes a Court Collection.
Beher Collection (Germany).
Slaughter and May International Law Collection (London).

EXHIBITIONS

2007, (Multiple exhibitions around Beijing) Redrock Gallery, China World Exhibition Centre, Beijing, PR China.
2006, Redrock Gallery, South Yarra
2003, Chapel off Chapel Gallery, Melbourne.
2002, Aboriginal Art Gallery Baeher, Speyer, Germany.
2002, “Land is Life Art from Australia”, Jagdschloss Granitz, Binz, Germany.
2001, “The Unseen in Scene”, Staedtische Galerie, Wolfsburg, Germany.
2001, “Recounting the Essence of Life. Art from Australia”, Kunstforum, HDZ.
2000, “Kunst der Aborigines”, Leverkusen, Germany.
2000, Chapel off Chapel Gallery, Melbourne.
2000,”Mosquito Bore – The Art of the Minimalist”, Ancient Earth Indigenous Art, Cairns.
1999, Gallery Gondwana, Alice Springs.
1999, Mbantua Gallery and Cultural Museum, Alice Springs.
1999, Alliance Francaise de Canberra and the French Embassy, Canberra.
1999, “My Country – Journey of our Ancestors”, Ancient Earth Indigenous Art, Cairns.
1998, “Utopia and Balgo Hills”, Aboriginal Art Gallery Baeher, Speyer, Germany.
1998, Aboriginal Art Galleries of Australia, Melbourne.
1998, Chapel Off Chapel Gallery, Melbourne.
1998, “Culture Store”, Art Gallery, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
1998, “Dreamings”, Spazio Pitti, Florenz, Italy.
1996, “Desert Mob”, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.
1994, “Desert Mob”, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.
1993, “Desert Mob”, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.
1992, “Desert Mob”, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.
1991, “Desert Mob”, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.
1991, “8th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards”, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
1989, “Utopia Women’s Paintings. The First Works on Canvas”, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney.
1989, Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide.
1986, “Desert Mob”, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.
1985, “Desert Mob”, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs.