Bush Plum

The painting depicts the Story of the Wild Plum and Antangker - the author's homeland, located in the Utopia region, approximately 250 km northeast of Alice Springs. Wild plums (fruits of Santalum lanceolatum, a true sandalwood), black and small, are very nutritious and rich in vitamin C. They are important for the women of the Alyawarre tribe, who, together with their children, also collect wild onions (yelka) in the summer and celebrate ceremonies. They then paint symbols of Amweketa (wild plum) on their bodies, sing and dance.

Gracie Morton Pwerle (born 1956) is one of the senior matrons of this ceremony. She presented the story using the technique of delicate dotting and color variations. The area is seen from a bird's eye view. The image shows how the plant changes depending on the seasons. The multicolored dots in the background represent wild plums in various stages of growth. Small white brush strokes indicate wild onions.

The artist's style is minimalist and lyrical. Her works are included in Australian and international collections.