Elizabeth Mpetyane
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Artist Profile · Northern Territory
Elizabeth Mpetyane
Anmatyerre artist from the Utopia region, painting the Ahakeye (Bush Plum) Dreaming.
Born
c. 1980
Language group
Anmatyerre
Country
Ahalpere, Utopia region, north-east of Alice Springs, NT
Medium
Acrylic on canvas and linen
A family tradition
Elizabeth Mpetyane comes from one of Utopia’s strongest artistic families. Her mother was the renowned artist Kathleen Ngale, and her father, Motorbike Paddy Ngale, also painted the Ahakeye story.
Encouraged by the women of her family, Elizabeth began painting in 2006. She still lives on Country in the Utopia region, where she continues to take part in traditional ways of life and ceremony.
Her work
Elizabeth’s paintings centre on the Ahakeye (Bush Plum) Dreaming, a story of a desert fruit that is an important food source in Central Australia. Painting the Dreaming helps keep the story, and the ceremony connected to it, strong for future generations.
Awelye (Women’s Ceremony)
Bird
Painted Dancer
2025 – Finalist, 42nd Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin.
Related artists
Elizabeth’s aunt Angelina Pwerle and her cousin Bessie Petyarre also paint the Bush Plum.
Buying Elizabeth’s work
Elizabeth paints for Mbantua Gallery in Alice Springs. Buy through a recognised Indigenous art gallery, and always ask for a certificate of authenticity.
Paintings by Elizabeth Mpetyane on eBay
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