The subject of this major work, privately commissioned in 1994, is Arlatyeye, the Pencil Yam or Bush Potato. This is a valuable food source and the subject of important songs, dances and ceremonies amongst Eastern Anmatjerre people. It was the subject of a great number of Emily Kngwarray’s paintings, which were created, most familiarly, in a vast array of vibrant colours. In this painting however, Emily has characterised the roots of the yam in the plant’s full period of maturity. As the foliage dies off, cracks appear in the ground, which trace the root system and indicate that the engorged tubers are ready to eat.
This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist and family in Utopia in 1996
The Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, Melbourne, Australia
Aboriginal Art Gallery Boomerang, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Private collection, The Netherlands
Please note that all Aboriginal Art is created from a so called ‘Birds Eye’ view. This means that the paintings can be hung either horizontally as well as vertically.
SmithDavidson Gallery represents a wide range of Australian Aboriginal Art, please contact for additional information.