Barbara Weir Biography
Born circa 1945 at Bundy River Station, Utopia NT
Barbara Weir is one of the foremost contemporary Australian Aboriginal artist renowned for her unique painting approach, depictions of country and grass seed dreaming. Barbara Weir uses a combination of Aboriginal iconography, dot work, abstraction and linear motifs in her work. Her paintings illustrate ancient stories with an original personal style incorporating acrylics and occasionally ochres. Weir’s painting practice focuses on the representation of plants and country. Heavily inspired by deep Aboriginal traditions, the artist developed a sophisticated painting style incorporating acrylics and ochres. Weir’s paintings use overt Aboriginal iconography, dot work, and linear motifs evocative of body painting designs. By employing a textural application of natural ochres, Weir interweaves women’s ceremonial designs in her paintings. Her paintings illustrate old stories she heard as a child but with a personal style. Born in 1945 in the area formerly known as the Bundy River Station near Utopia, Weir was tragically a victim of Australia's stolen generation. Separated from her family during childhood because of her mixed heritage, Weir had to assimilate, temporarily losing her native language and customs. However, thirteen years later Weir returned to her childhood hometown determined to reconnect with her family and culture. In 1977, Weir moved back but met obstacles as she was unable to communicate due to having lost her native language. Under the guidance and influence of her aunt Emily Kngwarreye, acclaimed indigenous artist, Weir reconnected with her culture. Furthermore, she relearned her native languages of Anmatyerre and Alyawarr. Through this reconnection with family, Weir developed a strong passion for art. However, it was not until she was forty-five years old that Weir began painting and truly exploring Aboriginal artistic traditions. In 1994, alongside other Aboriginal women, Weir traveled to Indonesia and learned batik art making techniques. Her early work explored colours and different techniques to illustrate narratives of the land, history, and culture. With the death of her aunt Emily Kngwarreye in 1996, Weir pushed herself to improve her painting practice. As a result, she developed her grass seed dreaming style characterized by overlapping brushstrokes occasionally juxtaposed with intricate layers of dots. While usually painting with acrylics, Barbara has been known to explore different media including natural ochres, ash, oil paint and more. In 2019 the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia appointed her as an inaugural patron for the organization. Today, her work is part of the collections of major cultural institutions such as the Art Gallery of South Australia, Artbank, Queensland Art Gallery, Hank Ebes Collection, and AMP Collection. With a versatile style, Weir continuously innovated her painting practice to uniquely illustrate her strong connection with her culture. Barbara has exhibited her works both locally and internationally and has shown her art at Wentworth Galleries in Sydney for more than 20 years. Sadly, Barbara passed away in January 2023.
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