Size: 85 x 46cm

Acrylic on Canvas

Commission Work is Available

 Colleen is a self-taught artist who comes from a strong family tradition of Eastern Arrernte painters including Kathleen and Gabrielle Wallace.  She has been painting since 1990 and paints her famous Dreamtime Sisters, Bush Yam, Women’s Ceremony and Bush Foods. 

Colleen was raised by her mother at both Santa Teresa and Alice Springs, as well as Colleen’s father’s country near Gem Tree, northeast of Alice Springs. Colleen’s Yam Dreaming story links through to the country of Ada Bird Petyarre, a renowned artist from Mulga Bore, Utopia, and Colleen’s grandfather, Kenny Tilmouth Panangka, has given her the rights to paint the Yam Dreaming.

Colleen’s paintings are precise dot designs with a color field varying from warm earth tones to vibrant complementary colors like yellows and greens. Recent developments in Colleen’s work incorporate ceremonial body paint designs and more detailed designs associated with the Bush Yam, the vine, and its flower, which only grows in ‘green times’ (during rain).

Colleen now lives at both Mulga Bore, Utopia, and Alice Springs with her husband Colin Bird (Ada Bird’s son) and young children.

Currently, Colleen’s most popular paintings illustrate the  Dreamtime Sisters who are in good spirits dancing the Awelye (women’s ceremony) and looking after Colleen’s country.

“My country is called Arnumarra, that is my grandfather’s country. In my paintings, the Dreamtime sisters are a group of spirits that look after the land and also their role is to guard special areas such as sacred sites and protect the land.” – Colleen Wallace, August 2014

 Collections

Creative Native Perth

Mbantua Gallery Permanent Collection, Alice Springs

Exhibitions

1999  Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T. Australia. 
2002  Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN; 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, OR; Urban Wine Works, Portland, OR; 
Mary's Woods, Portland, OR 
2003  Mbantua Gallery USA exhibitions: New City Merchants, Knoxville, TN; Art and Soul Gallery, Nashville, TN; 'The Cove Gallery' Portland, OR; Mary's Woods, Portland, OR 
2003 Oct - Contemporary Aboriginal Art Event, Umpqua Bank in conjunction with Mbantua Gallery, Portland, Oregon USA 
2003  Oct - Art from the Dreamtime, Portland Art Museum, Portland OR USA 
2004  May - ‘Awelye’, Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs 
2004 Aug-Sep - Mbantua Gallery USA exhibition: Portland, Nashville, Knoxville, 
Hartford, Greenwich, New York and Philadelphia 
2005   May-June - ‘Small Wonders’ (A collection of 1’x1’ and 1’x1½’ paintings), Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, N.T 
2004  Evolution of Utopia, Mbantua Gallery Cultural Museum, Alice Springs 
2008   June - Dreamings – the Land, Outback Aboriginal Art, Caulfield, Vic