Alison Munti Riley b. 1966
Wangunu (Bush Damper Seed) and Ili (Wild Fig) by Alison Munti Riley, 2023
90 x 120 cm
35 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches
35 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches
acrylic on Belgian linen
TIAA-AM202315
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This painting depicts a Wangunu (Bush Damper) and Ili (Wild Fig) story. Alison paints the way bush damper seeds are collected from the ground by women, are ground and shaken...
This painting depicts a Wangunu (Bush Damper) and Ili (Wild Fig) story. Alison paints the way bush damper seeds are collected from the ground by women, are ground and shaken in a coolamon to make a flour from which damper, a bread-like tucker, is made. Alison tells how her grandmother taught her to make damper this way and how it can be mixed with the honey from honey ants for a sweet treat.
The Ili grow on top of the hills, and are collected by women as a tasty and sought-after bush tucker. This story was handed to Alison by her grandfather, whose name incorporated the Pitjantjatjara word for wild fig, Ili.