Areyonga - Herbert Raberaba

"Some people think Oh! Only dot painting really has meaning. Landscape is only pretty coloured rocks and trees. We only want dot paintings. But these hills have meaning and we have stories too, the landscape artists. We also talk about where the different Dreaming's come from, and where they meet up and so on. We have two ways of painting: sand painting and landscapes. For us they both have the same Dreaming story. The landscape painting we do, it shows the country. We don't just paint anything, that's not our way. We are inspired by the country and the Dreaming as we paint.'
- Jillian Namatjira

This work by Herbert Raberaba depicts the distinctive landscape of Central Australia, with its rocky ranges, open plains and changing desert colours. Working in oil on canvas, Raberaba captures the scale and atmosphere of Country through rich areas of colour and carefully observed landscape forms.

Although closely associated with the Hermannsburg School and its celebrated watercolour tradition, Raberaba also worked in oils. In this medium, the stronger colour and texture give the landscape a different presence, while maintaining the artist’s deep connection to the Country he knew and painted throughout his life.