Aboriginal People Collecting Bush Tucker by Katie Kemarre (SOLD)

This painting depicts olden day aboriginal people hunting and gathering for bush food. They carry boomerangs, coolamons (carved wooden bowls) and digging sticks. They are surrounded by Kurrajong trees which are denoted by the brown seed pods found on their branches. Inside is ntang ngkweyang - edible seeds. There is an ancient Dreamtime story belonging to ngkweyang which lies in the heart of Alyawarr land in Katie’s country, Antarrengeny north east of Alice Springs.

Ngkweyangis an important and nutritious food source. Not a habitual practice now, the Aboriginal people would collect these seeds, burn them to remove small hairs, and grind them into a paste for making damper (bread).

In the coolamons, ngkweyang can be seen along with edible grubs that live in Acacia trees found near Katie's country, Antarrengeny, and other bush tucker.

Artist

Name: Katie Kemarre
Skin name: Kemarre (also spelled Kamara)
Language group: Alyawarr
Country: Antarrengeny
Region: Utopia, Central Australia
Born: 1943
Read Katie Kemarre's full bio »

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Explore Katie Kemarre's painting titled 'Aboriginal Women Collecting Bush Tucker'

• Medium: Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
• Size of painting: 60cm x 60cm
• Size of canvas border: Approx 6cm
• Background colour: Black