Celebration of Bush Plum by Gracie Morton 91x91cm 7288GM

Celebration of Bush Plum by Gracie Morton Pwerle(91 x 91 cm) is a luminous homage to one of Utopia’s most significant Dreamings. Through a meticulous arrangement of delicate, shimmering dots, Gracie captures the abundance and vitality of the anwekety (Bush Plum) as it carpets the desert floor with fruit and seed during the summer months.

The Bush Plum, also known as the native currant ( Canthium latifolium ), is central to this Dreaming. It grows on a slender, upright tree with broad, pale green leaves. The fruit begins green and darkens through shades of purple to black as it ripens into clustered jewels, rich in vitamin C. Consumed raw or cooked into damper, the bush plum is not only a vital bush food but also a cultural totem of enduring significance.

Gracie’s rhythmic dotting technique conveys both movement and a sense of ceremonial reverence, with a profusion of seeds representing the life-giving nature of this seasonal fruit. Intersecting lines in the composition symbolise the sacred women’s ceremonies— awelye —where Anmatyerre and Alyawarre women sing, dance, and apply ochre body designs in precise lines and streaks across the breasts, upper back, shoulders, and thighs. These rituals honour the ancestral stories and reinforce kinship responsibilities tied to the Bush Plum Dreaming.

A respected senior artist from the Alyawarre language group of Utopia, northeast of Alice Springs, Gracie Morton Pwerle was known for her deep cultural knowledge and refined, layered mark-making. Her surname appears in various forms—Pwerle, Pwerl, Purle, or Ngale—reflecting different linguistic translations. Through her art, Gracie preserved and celebrated a sacred aspect of her Country, ensuring its continued relevance across generations.

Gracie sadly passed away in 2024, but her legacy lives on through works like Celebration of Bush Plum , which not only highlight the botanical beauty of the Central Desert but also honour the rich ceremonial life and ancestral responsibilities that underpin the Dreaming.