Bush Plum And Bush Onion

The content of the painting is Dreaming of the Wild Plum and the land of Antangker - the country of Gracie Morton Pwerle located in the Utopia region, approximately 250 km northeast of Alice Springs. Bush plums are very nutritious and rich in vitamin C. They are important for Alyawarre women who, together with their children, also collect bush onions (yalka) in the summer and celebrate ceremonies. They then paint symbols of Amweketa (bush plum) on their bodies, sing and dance.

Gracie Morton Pwerle is one of the senior caretakers of this Dreaming. She presented this story using the technique of delicate dotting and colour shadings. The land is shown from a bird's eye view, and the image shows the changes of the plant that produces bush plums depending on the seasons. The very fine multi-coloured dots in the background represent bush plums in various stages of growth. Small white brush strokes indicate bush onions. The artist's style is minimalist and lyrical. Her works are included in Australian and international collections.