Born in 1965, Joy Pitjara (Petyarre) is from the Utopia region. This community is located 240 kilometres north east of Alice Springs, and the Utopia artists have gained both a national and international reputation for their unique, intricate and colourful work.
Utopian Art began to gain momentum and fame from the 1970s onwards, when a group of mostly female aboriginal artists began what has become known as the Batik Project. This combined aboriginal dreamtime imagery and traditional technique with Western craft practice for the first time. As acrylic paints with their quick drying properties, vibrant colours and ease of use were introduced; Utopian artists embraced the change, and began to experiment whilst retaining traditional symbols and stories. This led to a re-interpretation of traditional styles, with looser handwork and a brighter palette lending the works contemporary appeal.
In the late 1990s Joy moved from Batik and began to paint in this manner, using Acrylic on Canvas. Joy has a particular interest in stories which involve the pencil yam and ceremonial women’s dreaming. Her work has been represented in the Robert Holmes a Court collection and various regional and central galleries.
