"My Bush Plum paintings represent the whole thing: all of Country.”
Born sometime between 1939 and 1947 (records are uncertain), Angelina Ngal (Ngale, Kngale), also known as Angelina Pwerle (1), is one of the most celebrated artists from the Utopia region in Central Australia. A senior Anmatyerr woman, she resides at Camel Camp, an outstation at the southern edge of Utopia, where she continues to create her highly intricate, minimalist artworks.
Pwerle and Ngal are not last names in the Western sense of a shared family name, but skin-names referring to her kinship relationships. Utopia sits on the language boundary between Anmatyerr and Alyawarr. In Alyawarr country Angelina is referred to as Pwerle, and in Anmatyerr country she is referred to as Ngal. When asked about the difference between the two skin names, Angelina told the author: "Pwerle is the same as Ngale, just in another language." (2) Interestingly, the artist speaks only Anmatyerr and would therefore likely refer to herself as Ngal, while some institutions, including New York's MoMa prefer the use of Pwerle.
The artist’s creative journey began in the 1980s, producing batiks through the Utopia Women’s Batik Group alongside her sisters, Kathleen and Poly Ngal. These works were created under the guidance of Rodney Gooch, who coordinated workshops through the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA). During the pivotal 1988–89 CAAMA Summer Project, she transitioned to acrylic painting, transferring her refined batik-making skills onto canvas. Her first paintings were included in the groundbreaking Utopia Women’s Art exhibition in Alice Springs in 1990, marking her entry into the broader art world.
Angelina’s art is rooted in her grandfather’s Country, Aharlper, and centres on Anwekety (Bush Plum Dreaming), a subject of profound cultural, social, and ceremonial significance. "I paint anwekety – bush plum. Little flowers ... after the rain and seeds. That’s my country, Ahalper.”(3) Her paintings convey themes of nourishment—both physical and spiritual—and celebrate the interconnectedness of land, knowledge, and memory. Early works feature clusters of red dots symbolising the Bush Plum, surrounded by layers of meticulously rendered coloured dots. Over time, her style evolved into finely detailed, abstract compositions that hint at sacred landmarks, ceremonial activities, and the ephemeral beauty of the landscape.
Despite her steady rise in international prominence, Angelina Ngal’s recognition in Australia has been comparatively slow. Her work has featured in prestigious exhibitions such as Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia (USA and Canada, 2016-2019), Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now at the National Gallery of Australia, and the upcoming The Shape of Time: Art and Ancestors of Oceania at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her paintings are held in major public and private collections worldwide, including the National Museum of Art in Osaka, Japan, and The Debra and Dennis Scholl Collection in Miami, USA.
In 2023, Angelina’s work was showcased at Art Basel Miami and toured internationally with The Met’s touring exhibition The Shape of Time: Art and Ancestors of Oceania exhibition. Her enduring connection to Country and her unparalleled attention to detail make her a cult favourite among collectors and institutions. As noted in the Financial Times, she is an insider’s secret, “‘If [Emily] Kngwarreye is the A-lister and [Daniel] Walbidi is the rising star, then Angelina Pwerle is the cult favourite – one on whom a growing number of institutions and collectors are quietly placing bets."(4)
What sets Ngal apart from her contemporaries is her exceptional ability to capture the essence of her Country and Altyerr, a skill particularly evident in her intricate dot paintings that vividly evoke Ahalper and Anwekety. According to the artist herself, “This is a constant engagement. This is a spiritual connection to place [...] My Bush Plum paintings represent the whole thing: all of Country.”(5)
Schmidt, Chrischona. "Angelina Pwerle: An artist from Utopia". Art Monthly Australasia (292): 34–39. Retrieved 30 August 2021
Schmidt, Chrischona. "Angelina Pwerle: An artist from Utopia". Art Monthly Australasia (292): 34–39. Retrieved 30 August 2021
Schmidt, Chrischona. "Angelina Pwerle: An artist from Utopia". Art Monthly Australasia (292): 34–39. Retrieved 30 August 2021
Dan F Stapleton for the Financial Times, January 28 2022
Dan F Stapleton for the Financial Times, January 28 2022
