Elizabeth Nyumi

Parwalla, 2014

This artwork depicts the country known as Parwalla, which is Nyumi’s father’s country. This country is far to the south of Balgo in the Great Sandy Desert, west of Kiwirrkurra, and is dominated by tali (sand hills).

Parwalla is a large swampy area, which fills with water after the wet season rain and consequently produces an abundance of bush foods. The majority of Nyumi’s painting shows the different bush foods, including kantjilyi (bush raisin), pura (bush tomato), minyili (seed) and the spinifex that often obscures the ground. The gathering of flora and small fauna has traditionally been women’s work, and consequently this painting tells of Nyumi’s knowledge relating to her caring for her family and country.