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Catalogue Number: 25/359
This painting shows the bush medicine plant that grows wild on the dry, rocky country of Central Australia. These plants wait a long time for rain. When the big rains finally come the tiny flowers bloom and the leaves turn green. Women from remote communities know this plant well because it has been part of their families’ healing knowledge for many generations.
After collecting the fresh green leaves, the women crush them and boil them in water. The warm liquid becomes a gentle bush medicine used to soothe pain, ease coughs, colds and flu, and calm skin irritations. In the old days and still today, this medicine is an important part of caring for family and keeping people strong.
The painting celebrates a knowledge of plants, rain, and the land. It shows how the desert comes alive after rain and how Aboriginal women continue to pass down their healing traditions, keeping culture strong and connected to Country.