Anatye II

Since her launch in September 2010, Margaret has had what could only be described as a meteoric rise in the Australian contemporary art world.

Her depiction of Anatye (wild yam) is a fine, pointillist style that draws the viewer into her depiction of country through her sense of depth and scale. Her paintings are not to be viewed as a casual glance, but rather as a lengthy study. It is only then that the hypnotic nature of her works can truly be appreciated.

With this rare ability, Margaret has been selected as a finalist in no less than fifteen art prizes in the last year. She has won both the Sunshine Coast and Paddington Art Prizes. She placed second in the Outback Art Prize and made the top five finalists out of 783 entries in the prestigious Wynne Prize, Australia’s premier prize for landscape painting.

Margaret hails from an incredibly distinguished artistic family and has been exposed to art for many years. Her mother is the highly acclaimed Kathleen Petyarre, one of the seven Petyarre sisters from Utopia in Central Australia. They are considered to be one of the most influential families on the Australian art landscape.

This body of works illustrates the growth in Margaret’s artform. Having only started to paint seriously in the last five years, her work displays a sense of maturity that far exceeds her time as an artist. Having spent the majority of her life raising a family and grandchildren, it has only been of late that Margaret has been able to pursue an artistic career. Typically for many female Aboriginal artists, the opportunity to express themselves through their art does not present itself often until later in life; this is the case with Margaret Loy Pula. Now almost 60 years of age, it is clear that she is able to draw on both her culture and her life experience as she continues to produce works that are alluring, intriguing and highly captivating.

Presented by: Muk Muk Fine Art Gallery

Artist: Margaret Loy Pula