Gracie Morton Pwerle is a senior Alyawarr artist, born around 1956 at Utopia in Central Australia. She is the daughter of Utopia artist Myrtle Petyarre and the sister of famous artists Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre. Gracie comes from an artistic family where the Utopian traditions are continued by most family members.
In the late 1980s Gracie began waiting during the “A Summer Project”, where acrylic paints and canvas were introduced to the women of Utopia.
Gracie is a senior custodian of the Arnwekety (Bush Plum) Dreaming. In accordance with traditional law she is responsible for ensuring the customs and traditions associated with the Bush Plum Dreaming. This responsibility was passed down to Gracie from her father and aunt. The primary subject in Gracie’s artwork is Arnwekety, which depicts the changing seasonal influences on the plant. Gracie creates wonderful narrative in her artworks, which creates a three-dimensional visual effect that guides the observer through the diverse color fields.
Gracie’s artworks are represented in major public and private collections and her artworks are exhibited regularly throughout Australia and overseas. She has been a part of international exhibitions in China, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands.