Ada Bird Petyarre was a senior Anmatyerre artist and one of the founding figures of the Utopia art movement. She began her artistic journey in the late 1970s as a member of the Utopia Women’s Batik Group, before moving into acrylic painting in 1988 through the CAAMA Summer Project. Her work was exhibited widely and is now held in major public and private collections throughout Australia and internationally.

Ada was one of the celebrated Seven Petyarre Sisters, and a senior custodian of the Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming associated with Atnangkere and Ahalkere Country. Her paintings are characterised by bold linear patterns, vibrant colour and references to women’s ceremonial body painting designs, or Awelye. Unlike many artists from her community, Ada’s work was not defined by intricate dotting, but by strong, expressive forms that reflected her energetic personality and deep cultural connection.

Known for her love of bright colours, particularly blue, Ada created paintings that celebrated the strength, movement and spirit of women’s ceremonies. Her work carried both the visual language of her ancestral stories and the confidence of an artist who embraced individuality while remaining deeply connected to tradition.

Ada continued painting until suffering a stroke in 2004. She passed on her cultural knowledge and artistic legacy to her large extended family, many of whom have continued the Utopia painting tradition. She was a mother of six children and a grandmother and great-grandmother, remembered as a vibrant, generous and influential figure within the contemporary Aboriginal art movement.