Bush Yam Dreaming 2007 by Evelyn Pultara 62x93cm

Bush Yam Dreaming, 2007 by Evelyn Pultara, 62 x 93 cm

Evelyn Pultara is a highly respected artist from the Utopia region in the Eastern Desert of Central Australia.

In 2005, she was awarded the prestigious Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, a testament to her exceptional talent and contribution to contemporary Indigenous art.

Born around 1947 at Woodgreen Station, a cattle property near Utopia, Evelyn is of the Anmatyerre language group. She is the niece of the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye and the sister of Greeny Purvis Pultara, both renowned artists. Like them, she shares the plant totem of the Bush Yam and is now the senior custodian of this important Dreaming.

A mother of six, Evelyn has spent her life in her traditional homelands around Utopia, where she also raised her children. She began painting in 1997, initially depicting traditional themes such as bush tucker and Awelye(women’s ceremonial body paint designs). However, she quickly developed her own distinctive style and is now widely regarded as an outstanding artist in her own right.

Today, Evelyn exclusively paints her plant totem, the Bush Yam(also known as the Pencil Yam). In Anmatyerre language, it is called Atnwelarr —a vital source of food and water for her people for generations. This slender, twining plant produces yellow pea flowers and edible tubers. As custodian of this totem, Evelyn has the cultural responsibility to honour the Bush Yam through song, dance, and ceremony. In a modern expression of this tradition, she pays homage through her art.

Evelyn’s works are held in significant public and private collections across Australia, and her paintings have been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Her recognition at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in 2005 cemented her place among Australia’s most important contemporary Indigenous artists.

She is best known for her bold, intricate depictions of the Bush Yam, a totem she shares with her late aunt, Emily Kame Kngwarreye —one of Australia’s most celebrated Aboriginal artists. Now an elder, Evelyn has had an extraordinary career, earning widespread recognition for her unique style and cultural storytelling.

Provenance: Mbantua MB035867