Anwekety, 2008 by Polly Ngale 90x90cm

"Anwekety, 2008" by Polly Ngale is a powerful Dreaming story that reflects deep cultural connections within her family and the Utopia region. The artwork is based on the creation era, where the first Anwekety (bush plum) grew, bore fruit, and scattered its seeds across Polly's ancestral land. This story holds immense cultural importance for Polly and the wider community of Utopia.

Anwekety, known as bush plum in English, is a sweet black berry that grows on the Carissa lanceolata plant. The fruit is cherished by desert Aboriginals for its flavor, while the plant offers medicinal properties. The bark and roots can be used as a wash for skin and eye ailments, and the thorns are traditionally employed to cure warts. Polly’s art continues to resonate with this deep cultural and environmental knowledge.