Amwekety (Bush Plum), 2001 by Gracie Morton, 61x61cm Cat 6948GM

"Amwekety (Bush Plum), 2001" by Gracie Morton is a stunning depiction of her Bush Plum (Amwekety) Dreaming, associated with her traditional country of Mosquito Bore, 263 km north of Alice Springs. Using an aerial perspective, Gracie’s delicate dotting and colour variations beautifully illustrate the landscape during the summer months when Bush Plum seeds split open, scattering their husks over the ground.

The Bush Plum is a prostrate plant that bursts into vibrant colour after rainfall but quickly disintegrates in the intense summer heat. This small fruit, with black seeds, can be eaten raw or cooked into bush damper and is extremely high in vitamin C. The Bush Plum Dreaming site is one of the major Dreamings of the Utopia region. Throughout this painting, there is a profusion of dry seeds from the native bush plum (Canthium latifolium), a fruit that proliferates in the area.

Gracie Morton, a senior traditional custodian for both the Altyerre (Dreaming) and the vast expanse of related country, inherited the responsibility for the Bush Plum Dreaming from her father and aunt, ensuring its traditions are preserved. In ceremonies, the ritual activities of women singing, dancing, and painting ceremonial body designs (awelye) on their limbs ensure knowledge is passed down to younger generations and ensures continued proliferation of the species.

Belonging to the Alyawarre language group, Gracie Morton Pwerle upholds her cultural heritage through her art. Her surname appears in various spellings (Pwerle, Pwerl, Purle, or Ngale) due to different linguistic interpretations.

Curator’s Note: The first image is a close-up, with the overall painting image available by pressing the arrow.