Soakage by Lena Pwerle (SOLD)

An exquisite Soakage painting by elder Lena Pwerle, painted in warm earthy colours and a splash of turquoise, employing the mind to imagine desert soakages brimming with water. 

A perfect size for a large piece - the length is double the height allowing it to fit into narrower spaces but also a perfect size for many large spaces. 

A painting deserving of it's own wall, or making a warm and welcoming entrance.

- Curator's Pick

This painting has been hand painted by Lena Pwerle of Utopia, Central Australia. Circular designs represent soakages (or waterholes) that are spread across her land in the Utopia Region.

Lena says that these soakages, now all dried and used up, had plenty of water in them long ago, even when she was growing up, providing her people with a much needed water supply. With their intimate knowledge of the land, Lena’s people knew how and where to find them in the harsh desert environment.

“Long time [ago] olden time mob get their little coolamon (bowl), they check them [soakages] – proper good one water! They been find ‘em under the ground. My grandmother taught me where to find ‘em. They dry now, they finish. They [my people] drink bore water now” - Lena Pwerle

Artist

Name: Lena Pwerle
Skin name: Pwerle (also spelled Pula)
Language group: Anmatyerre
Country: Ahalpere
Region: Utopia, Central Australia
Born: 1934
Read Lena Pwerle's full bio »

Related Content

'What is a Soakage?'
Soakages exhibition I Lena Pwerle - 15 Oct - 16 Dec 2015
Soakages Sequel exhibition I Lena Pwerle - 16 Sep - 12 Nov 16
Boss Woman exhibition | Lena Pwerle - 1 Sep - 29 Oct 17
Lena exhibition | 21 Sep - 3 Dec 18

• Medium: Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
• Size of painting: 180cm x 90cm
• Size of linen border: Approx 8cm
• Designed to be stretched on a 2cm deep stretcher frame
• Background colour: Black