Yubu Napa Shopper Bag Polly Ngala In Bush Plum

Features:

• Drop handle
• Reusable bag
• Can be folded up or stored

Artist Story: 

A vibrant and bubbly person, Mrs Ngala speaks little English and lives a traditional life at Utopia. Mrs Ngala (also spelt; Ngal, Kngal, Ngale) was born in 1940 into the Anmatyerre tribe. She was married to Ray Yeramba (deceased) and now lives with her family and sisters Kathleen Ngala, Maisy Ngala and Angeline Pwerle Ngala. Like many of the women in Utopia, Mrs Ngala began her artistic career in batik before venturing into painting with acrylic paints on canvas. She often assisted her sister Kathleen and also the late Emily Kngwarreye Kame, with whom she shared the same country.

Mrs Ngala depicts the Bush Plum and its effects on her country. This fruit is one of the most important food sources in this area. The fruit is in season from early December and continues to grow until around the end of February. During this time, the women collect as much of this fruit as possible. The small dark fruit is threaded onto thin sticks and left in the sun to dehydrate. This ensures that these fruits are abundant through the harsh dry times during the middle of the year. Ceremony is held at the start of the season to encourage plentiful harvest and to give thanks for the abundance of the fruit.

Mrs Ngala uses a wide palette of colours and often depicts the topography in shades of reds, oranges and yellows, reflecting the varying seasonal palette. The colour palette for this piece has been inspired by the amount of rain Central Australia has received over the past six months.

Mrs Ngala builds up layer upon layer of colour using thick paint, creating a multi-dimensional effect to reveal the Bush Plum in all its glory.