In 2010, First Nations artist Selina Teece Pwerl left her home in Antarrengeny for life in South Fremantle.
Having lived in the remote community north of the Utopia region in Central Australia, Ms Pwerl decided to board a plane to Perth to chasing her dream of becoming a professional artist.
The trip lead to her showing art alongside her mother, Lulu Teece in a mother and daughter exhibition, hosted by South Fremantle's Artitja Fine Art Gallery.
Thirteen years later, she has become an accomplished artist whose paintings fit comfortably into the national and international exhibiting arena.
Now Fremantle is hosting the artist's return visit for the opening of Desert Stars, showcasing on Friday 27 October at the Terrace Greenhouse Gallery.
Described as an innovative painter, Ms Pwerl's work encompasses a range of styles which bring the canvas to life through shapes such as spinifex, gum blossom flowers and kurrajong seeds.
Her reason for being however is in her meticulous landscape representations of her father's Country – the landscape which she so loves, and which to the onlooker creates a feeling of hovering over Country, looking down.
Ms Pwerl's love of Country shows through her work, as well as the dozen artists from Utopia, a region spanning many thousands of kilometres to the northeast of Alice Springs that makes up the exhibition.
Most however hail from the picturesque Harts Range region in the eastern central desert, including Caroline Petrick Kngwarreye, Belinda and Janet Golder; Charmaine Pwerle, Colleen Wallace Nungarrayi and Ada Beasley Pula.
The exhibiting artists are constantly inspired by their surroundings but more so the influence of their forebears and family artists, including Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Polly Ngale, Minnie Pwerle, Barbara Weir and Gloria Petyarre.
All are internationally recognised and celebrated artists, now sadly deceased, but through the younger generation of artists their legacy lives on.
"There are so many stars in this exhibition, we couldn't think of a better title for it," said Gallery Director, Anna Kanaris.
Ms Pwerl will be present on the opening night and will also be in the Gallery on 28 October for a meet and greet.
Since 2004, Artitja Fine Art Gallery's focus has been to present art from remote community art centres including the Tiwi Islands and Arnhem land.
The gallery holds up to six exhibitions a year in an exhibiting space and at other times works by appointment.
Artitja Fine Art Gallery is a member of the Indigenous Art Code and committed to ethical practice.
