Yam dreaming 1995

In the ‘Yam dreaming’ series of paintings, Anmatyerre artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye uses vibrant colours to trace the meandering root systems of Arlatyeye (pencil yam or bush potato) as they forge their way through the Simpson Desert.

Kngwarreye’s paintings emphasise the significance of Arlateye as an essential provider of food and sustenance, as well as the subject of significant ceremonies amongst Eastern Anmatyerre people. Rather than simply observing or recording the material properties of Arlatyeye, Kngwarreye integrates her own ancestral knowledge into these paintings to create vivid compositions.

This work — using red, orange and pink paint on a grey background — is a classical yam dreaming style of Emily Kame Kngwarreye. This work, along with Yam dreaming and Yam dreaming, shows her innovative use of colour and mastery of the gestural brushstroke.