Wool rug Bush Potatoes

This is a teaching painting, describing a dry season in Damiens homeland, Mount Liebig, in the Northern Territory. It illustrates aspects of landscape and culture that was told to Damien by his great-grandparents. Women sit with children collecting bush potatoes (the red shapes at the top of the painting) and are preparing for inma (ceremony). One man, wati, sits down with his waru (spear). Controlled burnings are taking place as the spinifex is dry, and this means good fruits can grow. The small star-like symbols represent womens body paint that the women paint on each other for inma. A dry creek bed runs through the painting (in red and white), and there are cracks in the claypans, dried rockholes (tjukula), and sandhills (tali).

Rug Wool 2x3ft (61x91cm)-DYM931

ARTISTS Damien & Yipi Marks