1957
Language Group:Alyawarre
Country:Ampilatwatja, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Batik on Silk
Subjects:Country, Bush Medicine, Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Women Collecting Bush Medicine, Women Collecting Bush Tucker, Women Collecting Imuna (Bush Food) and Bush Medicine, Ceremony
Colleen Morton Kngwarreye was born in 1957 and is an Alyawarre artist from Ampilatwatja, northeast of Alice Springs. She was involved in the Utopia Women's Batik Group, an important movement that saw many Aboriginal women from the region develop their artistic practice. Her work was included in A Picture Story, a project initiated by CAAMA in the late 1980s.
Colleen learnt about bush medicines and how to collect them from her mother and grandmother as a child, carrying this knowledge into her artwork. These teachings continue to influence the stories she shares through painting.
Working with acrylic on canvas and linen, Colleen paints stories of Country, Bush Medicine, Bush Food and Awelye (Women's Ceremony). Her artworks reflect the cultural knowledge, landscapes and traditions passed down through generations.
Through her paintings, Colleen continues to share the important connections between women, Country and the natural resources that have sustained her people for generations.
Colleen paints women collecting Bush Medicine. There are different types of bush medicine in the Central Desert. In the 'olden days' the leaves and the seeds of this plant were gathered, ground and mixed with animal fat (today a commercial oil is used) and it is then used as an ointment or boiled in water for medicinal use.
Women, represented by 'U' motifs, can carry with them their digging sticks and coolamons (carved wooden bowls) which are typical instruments used for collecting many bush foods.