My Country - Emily Kame Kngwarreye

In this highly dramatic work, the application of red, white, and grey colours highlight the varied and changing hues in the life cycle of the Anooralya Yam and the seasonal change that comes when storms build and bring rain to the the dry desert landscape near Alalgura on Utopia Station, west of Delmore Downs.

The thick textured fusion of deep red and pink hues gives a concentrated view of the desert's food sources after rain. Often hidden from view, these seed, fruit, and root vegetables are enormously bountiful. The requirement to understand the life cycles of all bush foods is necessary to the survival of Alyawerre and Anmatjerre people.

The Anooralya Yam is the most important plant in Emily’s custodianship. This hardy and fertile plant provides both a tuber vegetable and a seed bearing flower called Kame (Emily’s tribal name). As the plant dies off above the ground, the yam tuber can be found underground.

This work evokes the build up of an approaching storm. The rain falls and water slowly flows along the broad shallow watercourse and replenishes the soakage at Alalgura. The flourish of growth that follows is exceptional and rapid. The dramatic transformation of the desert from bare to abundant is a display of the desert's power. Linked into this is women's ceremonial life called 'awelye' that is based on the belief that they help nurture the desert food sources by assuring future fertile generations.