DOB: 1 January 1936

BORN: Utopia
LANGUAGE GROUP: Anmatyerre
COMMUNITY: Utopia

Polly Ngala (Ngale) (01/01/1936–20/08/2022*) was born into the Anmatyarr tribe. Like many of the women in Utopia, Polly began her artistic career in batik, before venturing into painting with acrylic paints on canvas. She often assisted her sister Kathleen and also the late Emily Kngwarreye Kame with whom she shared the same country. Arlparra is her country from her father’s side and her mother came from Ngwelay, commonly known as Kurrajong Bore. Together with her sisters, Polly is a senior custodian of the Bush Plum (Arnwekety) Dreaming. Polly depicts the Bush Plum and its effects on her country, often depicting the topography in shades of reds, oranges and yellows reflecting the varying seasonal palette. Like her sister Kathleen, she builds up layer upon layer of colour creating a multi-dimensional effect to reveal the Bush Plum in all its glory.

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*We are grateful to Mr David Kuhle and the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice, 
Northern Territory Government, for providing the correct birth and death dates for Polly Ngala.

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