BORN: 1957-2023LANGUAGE GROUP: AnmatyerreCOMMUNITY: Utopia, NT Born in the 1950’s in the Utopia region in Central Australia, Betty Mbitjana continued traditions passed down from her mother, the great Utopia artist Minnie Pwerle. Her aunts included Emily Pwerle, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Molly and Gayla Pwerle. Betty credited her mother with introducing her to the world of modern art. Through her art, Betty paid homage to her heritage, cultural knowledge, and connection to her country. Betty's designs depicted women's body paint designs, land formations and sacred sites on her mother's country, Atnwengerrp, in the remote reaches of Utopia. The bold patterns throughout Betty’s painting illustrate women’s ceremonial body paint design. The large roundels depict the waterholes around which the women perform ceremony and the small circles are the bush melons, representing the bush tucker that they live on whilst the ceremonies are taking place, which often take up to week. The women apply the body paint designs onto their breasts, arms and thighs singing as each woman takes their turn to be ‘painted up’. Their songs relate to the dreaming stories of ancestral travel and other totemic plants, animals and natural forces. Awelye – women’s ceremony, demonstrates respect for the land. In performing these ceremonies they ensure well-being and happiness within their communities.