Barbara Weir Indigenous Australian, b. 1945-
Born: Bundy River Station, NT
Language Group: Anmatyerre/Alyawarre
Community: Utopia, NT
Barbara Weir was born in 1945 at Bundy River Station in the region of Utopia, north east of Alice Springs; her mother the late Minnie Pwerle, renowned Utopia and Australian artist, and her father an Irish station owner Jack Weir.
Her Idyllic childhood was disrupted when at the age of ten Barbara was suddenly taken away from her family, as she was collecting water. She is one of the people known as the 'stolen generation'.
Barbara married Mervyn Torres and in 1969 they moved to the remote community of Papunya, where Mervyn was a field officer. Little did they know they were about to witness the birth of the Aboriginal Art Movement, when the Papunya men began painting their stories for an external art market.
In 1977, Barbara returned to the land of her birth with her three children for good. On returning to her home, she rekindled her special relationship with Emily Kame Kngwarreye, who was a famous batik artist by then. The Utopia women were all well-known for their beautiful batiks, the proceeds from which contributed to the Aboriginal community buying back the region of Utopia in 1974. Barbara Weir was active in the local land rights movement during the 1970s and worked towards gaining Country. At the same time, Barbara became interested in batik and showed a flair and talent for it. After witnessing the events that took place in Papunya, Barbara made the natural transition to painting in 1988, which coincided with a project from CAAMA shop which introduced the Utopia Batik Group to painting on canvas with acrylic paints. Early works by Barbara reveal how she experimented with colour and style to tell her stories linked to her culture. In some instances, earthier tones, overt iconography and dot work float above a black background, while in other paintings there are linear motifs of body paint designs that echo the artworks of Barbara's aunt, fellow esteemed artist Ada Bird.
In 1996, after the death of Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Barbara concentrated on developing her skills as an artist. She soon attracted interest from collectors by producing works that were contemporary in style, including her now renowned 'Grass Seed' and 'Mother's Country' paintings.
Barbara has travelled widely and has been to America, Europe and Asia to paint and exhibit her work. She has also been honored by recognition by many art awards, including being a multiple finalist in the Peak Indigenous Awards, the Telstra NATSIAA and in the recent 2018 Paddington Art Prize.
Collections
AMP Collection
The Art Gallery of South Australia, SA
Ebes Collection, Workum, Netherlands
The Mbantua Gallery Collection, NT
Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, QLD
The University of Adelaide, SA
Exhibitions
1995 January - Combined exhibition at DACOU Gallery, Adelaide
1995 August - Combined exhibition at Davis Avenue Gallery,Melbourne
1996 February - Combined exhibition at Framed Gallery,Darwin
1996 May - Combined exhibition at Gallery Woo Mang & Partners,Paris,France
1996 July - Combined exhibition at Flinders Lane Galley, Melbourne
1996 August - Combined exhibition at Quadrivium Gallery, Sydney
1996 November - Solo exhibition at Fireworks Gallery, Brisbane
1997 January - Combined exhibition at Quadrivium Gallery Sydney Combined exhibition at DACOU Gallery Adelaide Participation in “Dreamings of the Desert” in Residence program for the Art Gallery of South Australia Combined exhibition at Hogarth Gallery in Sydney
1997 March - Solo exhibition at DACOU Gallery Adelaide Combined exhibition –Flinders Lane Gallery Melbourne
1997 June - Combined exhibition “Ten Years On” Sutton Gallery Melbourne
1997 July - Combined exhibition, Quadrivium Gallery Sydney
1997 August - Selected entrant in 14th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award for 1997
1998 February - Combined exhibition, “Women Painters of the Desert” FireWorks Gallery Brisbane
1998 March - ARTEXPO New York in association with Mandurah Ltd, New York
1998 May - Combined exhibition “Utopia IV” Quadrivium Gallery, Sydney Solo exhibition, Chapman Gallery, Canberra
1998 June - Combined exhibition – SCECGS Redlands –Sydney
1998 August - Selected entrant for the 15th National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for 1998
1998 September - Combined exhibition, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
1998 December - Combined exhibition in The Adelaide Festival Theatre Exhibited extensively in Europe including: Art Felchlin – Zurich, Gallery Griffiouen, Belgium, Boomerang Gallery, Amsterdam, Kunsdcentoum Aalst, Belgium, Kunsdcentoum Dendermonde – Belgium, Frank Popko Gallery – Rees, Germany, Ebes Collection – Workum, Netherlands
1999 February - Combined exhibition – ‘Utopia’ – BMG Art Adelaide
1999 March - Combined exhibition “Bush Garden” Japingka Gallery Sydney
1999 May - Combined exhibition Utopia V – Quadrivium Gallery Sydney
1999 June - Combined exhibition – “Caring For Country” Tandanya Cultural Institute – Adelaide
1999 August - Solo Exhibition – Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
1999 August - Combined exhibition – Gallery Savah – Sydney Barbara Weir Profile
1999 September - Combined exhibition – North Shore Fine Art – Sydney
1999 November - Solo exhibition ‘DreamWorks’ Gallery Savah – Sydney
1999 November - Solo exhibition Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT.
2000 February - Combined exhibition “An Affair to Remember” ArtSauce – Singapore
2000 March - Solo exhibition – “Gathering the Past” Redback Art Gallery Brisbane
2000 March - Combined Exhibition – “Artists of Utopia”, Tandanya, S.A
2000 April - Solo exhibition Gallery Savah, Sydney
2000 May - Solo exhibition, Mbantua Gallery
2000 June - Combined exhibition, Gordes, Vaucluse, France
2000 September - DACOU in association with AMP an official sponsor of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, hosted an exhibition of mixed Utopia art in the AMP building Sydney
2000 September - Combined exhibition at Mary Place Gallery, Sydney
2000 November - Selected entrant for the Redlands Westpac Art Prize Mosman Art Gallery, NSW
2000 November - ‘Women’s Business’, Australian Exhibition Centre Chicago. U.S.A
2001 February - Combined exhibition “Out of Utopia” Chapman Gallery Canberra
2001 February - Combined exhibition –Alison Kelly Gallery, Armadale, Victoria
2001 February - Selected artist to be included in the prestigious Young Presidents Organization University, Westin Hotel, Pitt Street, Sydney in association with Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs
2001 May - ‘Painting Country’ – combined exhibition at Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA
2001 May - ‘Desert Colour, My Country’ – combined exhibition Raintree Aboriginal Art Gallery, Darwin, NT
2001 May - ‘Women Artists of the Australian Desert’ – combined exhibition at Gallery 2021, Auckland, New Zealand
2001 June - ‘Two women – Dreamings’ Dreamtime Gallery Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA – exhibited with Gloria Petyarre.
2001 September - Solo exhibition, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs
2002 Jan/Feb - ‘The Utopia Six’, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2002 July - ‘Generations’ Japingka Gallery WA
2002 August - Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs
2002 Denmark, Paris and other areas in France.
2002 Exhibited twice in Japan
2002 Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
2002 New York with her mother, Minnie Pwerle’s work
2002 ‘United – Mother and Daughter’, Alison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne
2002 September - Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN, USA
2002 October - 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, Oregon USA
2002 October - Mary’s Wood, Portland, OR, USA
2002 October - Urban Wine Works, Portland, OR, USA
2003 March - Light Over Utopia, Japingka Gallery, Fremantle, WA
2003 June/July - Creative Collaboration Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs NT
2003 June - Barbara Weir/Emily Kngwarreye, Westside Gallery, Marrickville, NSW
2003 September - New City Merchants, Knoxville, Tennessee USA
2003 September - Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee USA
2003 September - 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, Oregon USA
2003 October - Contemporary Aboriginal Art Event, Umpqua Bank, Portland, Oregon USA
2004 July – August - Addison Road Gallery, Marrickville, NSW
2004 Aug-Sep - Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition: Portland, Nashville, Knoxville, Hartford, Greenwich, Philadelphia and New York
2005 February - Barbara Weir and Daughter, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T
2005 2nd March - Invitational Private Exhibition at Madigans Restaurant, Alice Springs with Mbantua Gallery to meet with HRH Prince of Wales
2005 March - Barbara Weir, Addison Road Gallery, Marrickville, NSW
2005 May-June - Small Wonders(A collection of 1’x1’ and 1’x1½’ paintings), Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T
2004 Evolution of Utopia, Cultural Museum, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs
2007 January - Group exhibition, Robert Steele Gallery, NY, USA
2007 February - Standing on Ceremony, Tandanya Cultural Institute, Adelaide, SA
2007 October - Solo exhibition, Blowing in the Wind, Artmob, Hobart, Tas
2007 October - New Works from Utopia, Space Gallery, Pittsburg, PA, USA
2008 June - Dreamings – the Land, Outback Aboriginal Land, Caulfield, Vic
Discovery Media: June 2000 – Utopia Revisited - Film following Barbara Weir’s rediscovery of her family.