Aboriginal Art Gallery | Paintings by aboriginal artists | Barbara Weir, Gloria Petyarre, Minnie and Galya Pwerle, Susan and Annie Pitjara Hunter

Jannie Morgan is an emerging aboriginal artist living in Utopia.  Her country is Atnwengerrp and her language is Alyawarre. Jannie has been painting on canvas since the 1980’s and was involved in the batik projects of the 1970s.  Her sister Katie Morgan is also an artist.  Their mother Lena Morgan, passed away some time now; however, they are close to their aunt, the artist Lizzie Pwerle and her family.   

Jannie’s dreaming is the “ Bush Orange” or “Wild Orange”.  Jannie paints intricate and varied dots in circular forms across the canvas, representing the Bush Orange plant, its flowers and fruits.   

Bush Orange is also known in Alyawarre as ‘akarley’.  Once very abundant but now scarce due to over grazing, this species was a stable source of bush tucker for Aboriginals.  The plant is more related to the caper plant than the orange tree.  The fruit grows on a shrub about 3.5m high with weeping foliage and produces large white flowers recognisable by their long prominent ridges. The fragrant small fruit hangs on long stalks and is green when unripe turning yellow or reddish in maturity. The fruit has a sweet flavour and is consumed raw with the tough outer skin discarded.    

The physical creation of this Dreaming is an important part of the bush tucker  ceremonies conducted by the Utopia women. Artworks such as ‘Bush Orange’ ensures the continuation of an ancient and rich cultural heritage while acknowledging the close bond still retained by the artist to her country.