3 Generations of Bush Medicine
an exhibition
Featuring Aboriginal artists
Betty Morton Pwerle, Joycie Morton Pwerle & Nakita Inkamala
1st June 2026 - 30th June 2026
Mbantua Galleries - Alice Springs, Darwin and Online
Mbantua Gallery proudly presents 3 Generations of Bush Medicine, a special family exhibition celebrating three generations of Aboriginal women artists - grandmother, daughter and granddaughter - whose paintings share the enduring story of Bush Medicine. This exhibition brings together the works of Betty Morton Pwerle, her daughter Joycie Morton Pwerle, and Joycie's daughter Nakita Inkamala. Through their paintings, the artists continue an important cultural tradition passed through family lines and shared across generations.
MB061709
120 x 90cm
Betty Morton Pwerle
Betty Morton Pwerle is a senior artist from the Utopia region of Central Australia. Her paintings are renowned for their vibrant colours and intricate dot work, depicting the rich cultural knowledge of Bush Medicine passed down through generations.
MB062928
120 x 90cm
Joycie Morton Pwerle
Joycie Morton Pwerle, daughter of Betty, continues the family tradition with her own unique style. Her works explore the themes of healing and connection to country, reflecting the deep cultural significance of Bush Medicine in her community.
MB062210
90 x 60cm
Nakita Inkamala
Nakita Inkamala, granddaughter of Betty and daughter of Joycie, brings a contemporary perspective to the family legacy. Her paintings blend traditional motifs with modern techniques, showcasing the evolving nature of cultural storytelling through art.
The exhibition explores how the same story can be shared in different ways through each artist's unique style. While all three women paint Bush Medicine, each brings her own approach through colour, pattern, composition and technique. Together, their works highlight both the strong cultural connection they share and the individual artistic voices that have developed across three generations of women.
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The story of Bush Medicine is deeply connected to life, healing and cultural practice across the Central Desert. For generations, Aboriginal people have used native plants for their medicinal properties, gathering leaves, seeds and roots to create traditional remedies. These plants were often crushed and mixed with animal fat to make healing ointments, or boiled in water to treat coughs, colds, sores and other illnesses.
Bush Medicine knowledge is closely tied to Country, with different plants growing in different areas and seasons. The gathering and use of these plants is an important cultural practice that has been passed down through families through storytelling, teaching and time spent on Country.
Central Australian Bush Medicine is often represented in art through detailed dot work, layered patterns and flowing designs symbolising seeds, leaves, plants and the landscape itself.
The significance of this family story was recognised beyond the gallery walls in Autumn 2025, when Australian publication Living Colour Magazine featured a six-page spread showcasing the Bush Medicine paintings of Betty Morton Pwerle, her daughter Joycie Morton Pwerle and granddaughter Nakita Inkamala. The feature celebrated the unique connection between the three artists and highlighted how a single cultural story can be shared across generations while being expressed through distinct artistic styles.
Nakita later visited the gallery and was delighted to see the magazine feature. Proud to be part of the story, she took the opportunity to view the article and pose for photographs alongside one of her Bush Medicine artworks featured in the exhibition.
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