Alison Munti Riley b. 1966
23 5/8 x 35 3/8 inches
In this painting, Alison depicts the native bush medicine plant called "Irmangka Irmangka", which can be found across the arid Central and Western desert regions, commonly known as “emu bush” or “narrow-leaved emu bush”. Aboriginal people have sought out the medicinal properties of Irmangka Irmangka for tens of thousands of years – it has natural anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. As is characteristic of the Central and Western Desert painting movements, Alison depicts from a birds-eye point of view the topography of her ancestral country, creating a plant-like motif to denote special places where women knew to gather Irmangka Irmangka. Alison says that these plants like to grow on rocky hills, they like to be a bit high off the ground, but grow near waterholes, which are depicted by roundels.
Bush medicine is an integral part of Aboriginal culture, and continues to be featured today in song, ceremony and in painting practice. By painting bush medicine, Aboriginal women honour the spirit of the healing