EMU COUNTRY, 1991
Emily Kame Kngwarreye
synthetic polymer paint on canvas
121.0 x 151.0 cm
inscribed with artist's name and Delmore Gallery catalogue number verso: Emily Kngwarreye/ 1W49/ Commissioned by/ Delmore Gallery,/ via Alice Springs,/ N.T. 0871
inscribed with title and dated on label attached verso: Emu Country/ June 1991
accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory
Commissioned by Delmore Gallery, Northern Territory
William Mora Galleries, Melbourne (gallery stamp verso)
Applied Chemicals Collection, Melbourne
Of My Country: Emily Kame Kngwarreye, The Applied Chemicals Collection, Bendigo Art Gallery, 1 - 30 May 1999, and touring various venues throughout Victoria and New South Wales, June 1999 - April 2000
The Ndoorkwa is a medium-sized shrub that produces an edible fruit that is usually viewed in three stages of ripeness and colour, varying from green to yellow, to red and finally, to full ripe purple/black. While it is recognized by all Europeans as being similar to a gooseberry, Aboriginal people call it a 'plum' as they do most dark sweet fruits. Its wood has a similar perfume to that of sandalwood, and its small black seeds are passed through the Emu which helps its survival and spread across the country.
On this significant canvas, we see a rare exposure of the mythological emu as it grazes across the country in a good season. The white dots show that the flower for the Finger Yam is there for the Emu's picking as well. Through the 'awelye' (ceremony) that pertains to custodians of these bush foods, Emily ensures their continuous growth into the future.
JANET HOLT
Delmore Downs, Northern Territory