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
Colleen was involved in the Utopia Women's Batik Group. Her work is represented in 'A Picture Story', a project initiated by CAAMA in the late 80's. When Colleen was a child, she was taught about bush medicines and how to collect them from her mother and grandmother.
Artist: Colleen Morton Kngwarreye
Size: 60 x 45cm
Title: Country
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Country
Colleen paints her country, Ampilatwatja. All of Colleen's Dreamtime stories belong to her country. Awelye (Women's Ceremonies) are performed by Colleen and the aboriginal women of her country to demonstrate respect for their country and the total well-being and health of their community. Designs are painted onto their bodies, the women sing and dance and stir up the dust as they perform the awelye for their country. Country is very important.
Colleen also paints bush medicine plants. 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.
