Michelle Pula Holmes

Michelle's great love of her country is expressed in her uplifting artworks; fields of colour and intricate dotwork showcase the varied landscapes and vegetation in her Country. It is no surprise that Michelle takes immense pleasure in painting, or that her joyful art won her the People's Choice Award at the 2013 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA). Michelle was also part of the original Utopia Batik art movement during the 1980s, and her batik was acquired by the Robert Holmes Court Foundation.

The level of detail in Michelle's art demonstrates a deep connection to country, yet in keeping with cultural law, she only presents a small amount of knowledge to the uninitiated. Rather than depicting the Dreaming stories themselves, the artists of the Ampilatwatja community have chosen to paint the country in which these Dreaming stories and the ancestors inhabit. The subject matter is 'strong bush medicine' and her works pay homage to the significance and use of traditional bush medicine.

In her spare time, Michelle loves to go hunting - the opportunity to be on Country and to see the land, plants, flowers and the trees provide great inspiration for her art.