Bush Plum by Gracie Morton, 152x51cm Cat 5400GM

"Amwekety (Bush Plum), 2001" by Gracie Morton beautifully depicts the Bush Plum (Amwekety) Dreaming, which is deeply tied to her traditional country of Mosquito Bore, located 263 km north of Alice Springs. Through an aerial perspective, Gracie’s delicate dotting and color variations capture the summer landscape when Bush Plum seeds split open and scatter their husks across the ground.

The Bush Plum is a prostrate plant that bursts into vibrant colour after rain 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. Gracie's painting showcases a profusion of dry seeds from the native bush plum (Canthium latifolium), a prolific fruit in the area.

As a senior traditional custodian for the Altyerre (Dreaming) and the expansive related country, Gracie Morton has inherited the responsibility for the Bush Plum Dreaming from her father and aunt, ensuring its traditions are preserved. The intersecting lines in her painting represent the ritual activities of women singing, dancing, and painting ceremonial body designs (awelye) on their limbs.

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.