Bernadine Kemarre Johnson b. 1974
Bush Medicine Leaves by Bernadine Kemarre Johnson, 2021
197 x 87 cm
77 1/2 x 34 1/4 inches
77 1/2 x 34 1/4 inches
acrylic on canvas
TIAA-BJ202211
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Collecting bush medicine leaves has always been part of Aboriginal culture. The collection of leaves and plants is primarily done by the women and considered part of their secret women's...
Collecting bush medicine leaves has always been part of Aboriginal culture. The collection of leaves and plants is primarily done by the women and considered part of their secret women's business. The leaves are often cooked down and mixed into animals fats, then applied to ailments from rashes to colds and muscle aches. Bernadine Kemarre Johnson paints these leaves drying on the ground through her delicate brush strokes. Bernadine prefers to paint in contemporary colour palettes and are uniquely identifiable by the bursts of leaves she paints to create depth and energised rhythm, and fills the space between the leaves with tiny white dots indicative of the plant seeds that are also used for medicinal purposes.