Bush Plum Dreaming
Polly Ngala
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About Artwork
Code: EDA-PN1443/12
Artist: Polly Ngala
Region: Camel Camp, Utopia
Medium: Polymer acrylic on canvas
Size: 114cm x 148cm
Bush Plum (Arnwekety)
Polly Ngala (deceased) was a senior custodian of the Bush Plum (Arnwekety) and here she depicts the plant saturating the canvas in a profusion of colours – often in oranges, reds and yellows and golden hues to create richly atmospheric and multi-layered landscapes. She always used a heavily loaded paint brush to work the many layers of dots onto the linen creating the effect of the flowering plants, the scattered seeds of the Bush Plum and the landscape after the heavy summer rains.
The Bush Plum plant and its fruit is of great significance to the Anmatyerr and Alyawarr women of the Eastern Desert region and still today the berries are collected and form part of their diet.
Polly Ngala began her career in late 1979, through the production of Batiks, made by artists in Utopia prior to the introduction of painting on canvas in the mid to late 1980s. Polly and her sisters Kathleen, Maisie and Angelina lived a traditional life in Utopia, and are recognised world-wide for their exquisite works and stories of their country.
Artist Information
Polly Ngala was born in 1936 into the Anmatyarr tribe. She was married to Ray Yeramba (deceased) and lived at Camel Camp on Utopia with her family and sisters, Kathleen Ngala (deceased), Maisy Ngala and Angeline Pwerle Ngala.
Polly began her artistic career in batik before venturing into painting with acrylic paints on canvas. She often assisted her sister Kathleen and also the late Emily Kngwarreye Kame with whom she shared the same country. Arlparra is her country from her father’s side and her mother came from Ngwelay, commonly known as Kurrajong Bore. Together with her sisters Kathleen and Angeline Polly was a senior custodian of the Bush Plum (Arnwekety) Dreaming.
Polly’s paintings portray the topography of Utopia in shades of reds, oranges and yellows reflecting the varying seasonal palette. Like her sister Kathleen she builds up layer upon layer of colour creating a multi-dimensional effect to reveal the Bush Plum (Ankwekety) and her country of Alparra in all its glory. Polly Ngala is considered one of the finest contemporary painters from Utopia.
Her subject matter is drawn from acute observation and memory, intimate knowledge of her country and the journey of her Ancestors. Polly’s work has been increasingly exhibited since 1999.
Her work has appeared in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award since 2003. Her honourable mention as a 2004 finalist was followed by representation at the Contemporary Art Fair in Paris at the Grand Palais Champs Elysees. Polly was also represented in the exhibition Emily Kngwarreye and her Legacy at the Hillside Forum Daikanyama Tokyo in 2008.
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Ethical Trade Details
Eastern Desert Art is a member of the Indigenous Art Code of Conduct and the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia and sells directly to collectors and galleries nationally and internationally.
To demonstrate provenance, artworks are sold with an Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct Certificate. These Certificates provide the purchaser with information on the artist, the story of their painting (when permitted by the artist under cultural law) and photographs of the artists with their paintings. The artworks are painted on prepared Belgian linen using polymer acrylics.
The local Alyawarre and Anmatyerre artists prepare and work on their paintings at the Eastern Desert art shed located on our property adjacent to Utopia.
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