Betty Mbitjana

Betty Mbitjana was born in Utopia, NT about 1945. She is the daughter of renowned artist Minnie Pwerle who passed away on March 18 2008. Her sister is another well known artist Barbara Weir. She is married to Paddy Club. Betty follows her mother’s painting style including body paint (awelye) for bush melon and bush berry. Betty’s mother and other women used to collect these fruits, cut them up into pieces and skewer them on a piece of wood and dry them for eating in times when bush tucker was scarce.

The families of the Pwerle & Kemarre groups are the custodians of this ritualistic designs that are painted on the women’s arms and breasts before ceremony. The bush melon and bush melon seed dreamings reflect their knowledge of when and where to collect these important fruits and the body painting is the first part of the ceremony associated with honouring the ancestors who not only created their country but also these vital food sources. The dancing that continues in some cases for several days creates lines in the sand that is part of the awelye or body paint design. These designs are generally painted on their bodies using ash, charcoal and various coloured ochres. Betty’s paintings generally use vibrant colours that show the strength of their culture. Her painting style with lines edged with various shades – almost electric at times – was taught to her by her family and in particular her mother. Betty paints many works each year and her larger works tend to be well composed and are highly sought after.