EMILY KAME KNGWARREYE - OF MY COUNTRY, ALALGURA
EMILY KAME KNGWARREYE
OF MY COUNTRY, ALALGURA, 1992
151 x 121 cm
acrylic on canvas
REGION
Utopia, NT
PROVENANCE
Delmore Gallery, NT Cat No. 92I164The Thomas Vroom Collection, The NetherlandsPrivate Collection, VicCooee Art Leven, Sydney NSWAccompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Delmore Gallery
STORY
When Janet Holt documented this work by Emily Kngwarreye, she noted that its movement in colour and form illustrated the explosive energy of growth of the desert life forms with the arrival of rain. Now the heat ripens the fruit, and brings the flowers and grass seed-heads to full maturity. Gradually, the bloom wanes, everything dries off, and the seeds disperse. In ceremony, this cycle is celebrated and Emily spiritually nurtured the lives of her family members, ensuring that they too would survive the erratic nature of the desert's seasons.The hidden tracking on this canvas reveals the underground growth pattern of the Arlatyeye, a big yam. Layered above are scattered seeds, leaves, flowers, and dried fruits of her main bush tucker species including the bush tomato, wild fig, bush plum, certain grasses, and native pine.
ARTIST PROFILE
