Dot work in this painting represents anwekety (conkerberries), it's Dreaming story belonging to Kathleen's country, Ahalpere.
The conkerberry (also often called bush plum), is a sweet black berry that is favoured by desert aboriginals. They only grow on the plant (Carissa lanceolata) for a few weeks of the year, however Kathleen's people collect plenty of them and store them dry, soaking them in water again before being consumed. The plant of the conkerberry is a tangled, spiny shrub that can grow up to 2m high. After rain fragrant white flowers bloom. This plant also bares medicinal properties. The orange inner bark from the roots can be soaked in water and the resultant solutions can be used as a medicinal wash. This is particularly favoured for skin and eye conditions. The thorns on the shrub can be used to cure warts.
Artist
Name: Kathleen Ngale
Skin name: Ngale (also spelled Ngala)
Language group: Anmatyerre
Country: Ahalpere
Lives: Utopia, Central Australia
Read Kathleen Ngale's full bio »
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'Conkerberry in Aboriginal Art'
