Barbara Weir  Born : 1945 - Region: Utopia - Northern Territory Language group: Anmetyerre/Alyawarre Born on Bundy River Station in the region of Utopia, Barbara Weir's mother is Minnie Pwerle, a very well known artist, and her father was an Irishman. She was taken from her family and fostered out, but in the 1960's, Barbara returned to Utopia and stayed with her aunt, Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Barbara commenced painting with acrylics on canvas in 1989 and developed a sophisticated and contemporary painting style. (She also paints with ochres). In 1994, Barbara Weir and other Aboriginal women travelled to Indonesia to learn batik techniques; then, in 1996, she travelled to Europe with her exhibition of paintings. Selected collections: Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Art Gallery of Queensland, Brisbane; Artbank; Queensland College of Art Griffith University; Ebes Collection-Workum, The Netherlands; University of Adelaide; AMP Collection. From: Aboriginal Artists, dictionary of biographies by Janusz B. Kreczmanski and Margo Birnberg |