Pollyanne Smith b. 1957

Pollyanne Smith was born in 1957 at Tjintja (Balfours Well), near Ernabella in the APY Lands of South Australia. Pollyanne was one of eight children and went to the local school in Fregon, where she later became an education worker. Pollyanne also worked in the local art centre under the direction of Diana James, where she learned the art of batik, tie dying and rug making. From the spinning wool by hand to the art of hooking, Pollyanne is a dynamic artist who creates with great cultural authority. Pollyanne is also a Ngangkaṟi, one of the traditional healers of the remote desert regions of Central Australia.

Pollyanne’s father was from Iltur, an important men’s site south-east of Watarru in the APY Lands, and her mother was from Ikari, north of Watarru. Pollyanne paints her mother’s country, and a special place that holds Minyma Tjukurrpa omen’s Dreaming) - called Untju-ku ngura. It is a large hill with a rockhole in the centre, where a mamu spirit lives. Pollyanne says that one can tell there is a mamu there as the trees in the surrounding area are dead. Mamu spirits are spoken of across many language groups, sometimes as simply mischievous or troublemaking, but often dangerous or harmful, “devils” or “monsters”, or even believed to take the form of an illness. Untju-ku ngura is a special place, where women perform large ceremonies. They paint their faces white with ochre pigments, and sing the songs and dance the dances of the mamu.

Pollyanne is a sought-after artist, and her work has been shown in a number of exhibitions since she commenced painting in 2007.