KATHLEEN NGAL - ARNWETKY (BUSH PLUM)

KATHLEEN NGAL
ARNWETKY (BUSH PLUM),  2011
synthetic polymer paint on linen
120 x 91 cm
 
PROVENANCE
Delmore Gallery, NT Cat No. 11K0481
 
STORY
Kathleen Ngal is celebrated for her masterful interpretations of Arnwekety (Bush Plum) Country, a subject shared across generations of Anmatyerre women artists. In this serene and luminous work, she layers soft green, white, and blue to evoke the delicate flowering and seasonal renewal of the bush plum plant, one of the most significant food sources and ancestral narratives of her Country. Her characteristic fine strokes create a surface that feels alive with movement, echoing the shimmering textures of vegetation shifting in the desert light.
 
The cool palette brings a sense of freshness and clarity, suggesting the moment when new growth emerges after rain and the plum trees flush with colour. Though abstract, the painting is deeply grounded in story, mapping the cycles of ripening fruit, the pathways of ancestral beings, and the intimate knowledge passed through women’s law. This work exemplifies Ngal’s ability to transform the landscape into a meditative field of colour and rhythm, offering viewers an immersive, contemplative connection to Ahalpere Country.