006
Minnie
Pwerle
Anmatyerre/Alyawarr (ca.1910–2006)
Awelye, Bush Melon and Bush Melon Seed Dreamings, 2000
synthetic polymer paint on linen
90 x 90cm
PROVENANCE
Mbantua Gallery, Alice Springs, NT, cat.no.MB011322; accompanied by original
certificate of authenticity and two colour photographs of the artist with
the painting
Private Collection, Sydney
Documentation reads
Minnie’s painting depict varying degrees of the Women’s Ceremony
(Awelye) held for the Bush Melon – celebrating its maturity to the
seed. The different colours in her paintings depict the different seasons.
The Bush Melon is depicted using linear designs of curves and circles.
The Dreaming tells the story of this lovely, sweet food that comes from
a very small bush and is only found in ‘Antwengerrp Country’.
Once very abundant, the Bush Melon is now very hard to find. Minnie and
other women used to collect this fruit (that was green in colour and then
ripened to a brown) and scrape out the small seeds. They would then eat
the fruit straight away or cut it into pieces and skewer them onto a piece
of wood and dry them to be eaten in the coming months when bush tucker
was scarce.