Wally Pwerle

An Alyawarre speaker, known primarily for his wood carvings, Wally Pwerle also paints occasionally. The Grass-Seed Dreaming in the area of Irrweltye outstation (a place called Aknumurrapa) is often the subject of his paintings. He is married to Janice Kngwarreye, who also paints occasionally. He lives at Rocket Range Outstation.

The Eastern Desert community of Utopia, 270 kilometres north east of Alice Springs, was not, as were many of the other major central desert art-producing communities, established as either a government settlement or mission station. Much of the 1800 square-kilometrepastoral property begun in the 1920s was not returned to the Anmatyerrand Alywarr owners until 1979. The people had therefore worked as stockmen or in other domestic and farming jobs for many years.