The Martu Faces series is treated with reverence and poetic grace. Each work is a deeply respectful portrait of a Martu elder or ancestor, rendered in delicate dots and shadow. George’s process here is slow and meditative: thousands of individual dots coalesce into faces that seem to glow from within. These figures convey spiritual presence… their eyes steady, their expressions solemn yet comforting. As the artist notes, in Martu Faces he explores “strength, resilience, and identity through portraiture”. The technique… a fusion of traditional dot painting and shadowed realism… highlights the contours of each face as if lit by desert twilight. There is a profound sense of memory and legacy in these canvases: each brushstroke is a tribute, ensuring the sitter’s story is preserved. The series itself was subtitled “Stories of Shadow & Light,” reflecting the play of luminance across the paintings (as seen in the artist’s Wentworth Gallery exhibition). For the collector, Martu Faces represents a legacy-worthy commitment to cultural preservation. Owning one of these works is not only acquiring a beautiful portrait, but also honoring Martu heritage.
Every painting in Martu Faces is an original acrylic on canvas. Like George’s other works, these pieces are exclusively offered through Wentworth and Manyung Galleries, reinforcing their provenance and prestige.
Description
A dramatic portrait split between cool shadow and blazing ochre. Shadow and Flame reveals a face emerging through layers of textured marks… swirling symbols, dotted fields and bold strokes that ignite one side of the composition with fiery intensity. The contrast between stillness and heat creates a powerful, elemental presence, evoking identity shaped by both darkness and light.
Status
Unsold
Provenance
Sent to Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 9 September 2025
Description
A striking portrait alive with intricate markings and layered symbols, Echo of the Red Sky captures the warmth and intensity of a desert sunset. The face, built from dense black-and-white patterning, is surrounded by radiant reds and soft pinks… forms that suggest light, memory and ceremony. The work carries a powerful presence, unfolding like a story etched across skin and sky.
Status
Unsold
Provenance
Sent to Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 9 September 2025
Description
A powerful portrait layered with swirling textures, deep shadows and vibrant ochre. The face emerges through intricate patterns… spirals, markings and fine-grained linework… creating a sense of memory held in every surface. The intense gaze and richly worked background give the work a profound presence, honouring the role of the storyteller as a keeper of wisdom, culture and lived experience.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Sent to Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 12 August 2025
Description
Half rendered in soft dot-work and half in warm, textured strokes, Martu Woman (Gina) holds a steady, direct gaze. The split-face composition creates a powerful contrast… one side rhythmic and delicate, the other layered with earthy tones. The result is a portrait alive with duality, presence and quiet strength.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Martu Faces: Stories of Shadow and Light, Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 2025
Description
Soft pinks and intricate dot-work shape the gentle, introspective expression of Martu Woman (Milli). Her resting pose, half-closed eyes and the hand supporting her face create a feeling of quiet reflection. Patterns shift from dense clusters to open fields, giving the portrait a rhythmic, breathing quality… tender, thoughtful and deeply connected to Country.
Status
Unsold
Provenance
Martu Faces: Stories of Shadow and Light, Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 2025
Description
Built from dense, precise dot-work, Martu Woman (Judy) emerges with an intense, steady gaze. Her wide eyes and softly contoured features are framed by rhythmic grids and sweeping patterns, creating a portrait that feels both ancient and contemporary. The careful balance of structure and flow gives the work a quiet authority… a powerful presence shaped through patience, story and light.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Martu Faces: Stories of Shadow and Light, Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 2025
Description
Painted in bold white linework against deep midnight tones, Martu Woman (Evelyn) carries a striking, contemporary presence. Her features are shaped through confident geometric markings, softened by delicate dot-work that flows across her hair and the surrounding space. Warm ochre highlights bring a pulse of desert colour, giving the portrait a vivid connection to story, identity and Country.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Martu Faces: Stories of Shadow and Light, Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 2025
Description
Composed in warm pink dot-work against deep black, Martu Woman (Bessie) has a quiet, steady presence. The face emerges through carefully balanced fields of dots… soft around the eyes, denser across the cheeks and brow… creating a calm, contemplative portrait. The simplicity of the palette draws attention to the rhythm of the mark-making, giving the work a gentle, grounded strength.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Martu Faces: Stories of Shadow and Light, Wentworth Gallery, Brisbane — 2025
Description
Rendered in soft, rhythmic dot patterns, Martu Woman (May) emerges from a field of delicate texture. Her calm, grounded expression and finely balanced features evoke dignity, resilience and deep cultural presence. The subtle shifts in tone and the density of dot-work give the portrait a meditative quality… quiet, strong, and richly connected to Country.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Private Collection, Brisbane, Australia (2024)
Description
Formed from soft cream and pink dot-work over deep black, Martu Man (Jack) carries a calm, meditative presence. His long nose, closed eyes and gently shaped lips give the portrait a feeling of stillness and introspection. The surrounding field of dots flows like a patterned cloak, adding warmth, texture and a quiet sense of cultural depth.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Private Collection, Brisbane, Australia (2024)
Description
Painted in vivid reds and cool greys, Martu Woman (Yirrmalu) radiates strength and solemn beauty. Bold facial markings, expressive blue eyes, and intricate dot-work frame her face with ceremonial intensity. The layered strokes and textured patterns carry the presence of story, identity and ancestral memory, creating a portrait that is both powerful and deeply intimate.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Private Collection, Sydney, Australia (2024)
Description
Composed entirely in fine, deliberate dots, Martu Man (Billy) presents a calm, grounded presence emerging from deep black. The face is built with rhythmic precision… soft curves, heavy-lidded eyes and a quiet strength held in the lips and brow. The simplicity of the palette highlights the detail and patience in the mark-making, creating a contemplative portrait that feels both ancestral and immediate.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Private Collection, Sydney, Australia (2024)
Description
A powerful portrait rendered in bold black and sand tones, Martu Man captures the strength and quiet intensity of an elder figure. Sharp lines, carved features and intricate dot-work sweep across the face and surrounding forms, evoking the deep currents of story, memory and Country. The work carries a strong presence… dignified, contemplative, and unmistakably grounded in culture.
Status
Sold
Provenance
Private Collection, Sydney, Australia (2024)
