Bush Turkey Dreaming by Genevieve Loy, 46X46cm

Bush Turkey Dreaming – Genevieve Kemarre (Kamara) Loy

Genevieve Kemarre Loy, born in 1982 in the Utopia community of Central Australia, carries forward a rich artistic and cultural legacy. As the daughter of renowned artists Cowboy Louie Pwerle (dec.) and Carol Kunoth, she was immersed in the world of painting from a young age. She inherited not only artistic guidance but also a deep understanding of her Dreamings and cultural responsibilities from her extended family that includes some of the most celebrated names in Indigenous Australian art, such as her sister through kinship, Abie Loy Kemarre, and her maternal grandmother, Nancy Kunoth Petyarre, one of the famous Petyarre sisters of Utopia.

The Story Behind Bush Turkey Dreaming

At the heart of Genevieve’s artistic practice is Bush Turkey Dreaming, a sacred Alyawarre Dreaming story that she shares with her father, Cowboy Louie Pwerle. This Dreaming originates from Eastern Anmatyerr Country, located west of the Sandover River. The Bush Turkey ( Ardeotis australis ) holds great ceremonial importance and is often honoured through dance, song cycles, and storytelling.

While Cowboy Louie Pwerle often depicted the nesting grounds of the Bush Turkey, Genevieve’s paintings follow its tracks as it moves across Antwengerrp Country, foraging for seeds and bush tucker on its way to the waterhole. On a deeper level, her artworks symbolise the women’s ceremonies connected to this Dreaming, capturing the spiritual and physical journey of the Bush Turkey within the landscape.

The Artistic Style & Connection to Country

Genevieve’s paintings are recognised for their intricate, finely executed dot work, creating delicate, almost spidery lines across the canvas. Her color palette reflects the vast landscapes of her ancestral Country —from the red desert sands and spinifex grasslands to rocky outcrops, mulga woodlands, and bursts of wildflowers after the rain. With an innate sense of harmony, she skilfully blends earthy tones with soft pastels, producing visually mesmerising works that are both contemporary and deeply rooted in tradition.

A Rising Star in Indigenous Australian Art

In 2023, when she won the National Capital Art Prize – First Nations Category, cementing her place as an emerging leader in contemporary Indigenous art.

With each brushstroke, Genevieve Kemarre Loy continues to honour her ancestors, preserve Bush Turkey Dreaming, and share the beauty of her culture with the world.