Colleen Wallace Nungari

Artist: Colleen Wallace 
Skin name: Nungari (also spelled Nungarai or Nungarrayi)
Language group: Eastern Arrernte
Lives: Utopia, Central Australia
Born: 1973 

Colleen Wallace Nungari's paintings depict the "Dreamtime Sisters" in a style made famous by her Aunt, Kathleen Wallace of Santa Teresa in Central Australia. Kathleen passed the style and story onto Colleen, a self-taught artist whose works previously depicted stories from her father's country further north.

The Dreamtime Sisters are ancestral spirit figures who look after their country and guide their people. These paintings are highly sought after from Colleen.

Colleen comes from a strong family tradition of Eastern Arrernte painters including Kathleen and Gabrielle Wallace. Colleen was raised by her mother at both Santa Teresa and Alice Springs and Colleen’s father’s country is near Gem Tree, north east of Alice Springs. Colleen’s Yam Dreamtime story links through to the country of the late Ada Bird Petyarre, a renowned artist from Mulga Bore, Utopia, and Colleen’s grandfather, Kenny Tilmouth Panangka, who gave her the rights to paint the Yam Dreaming. Colleen’s work has been featured in many exhibitions within Australia and the US.