This abstract piece inspired is by Gloria Petyarre who won the coveted Australian ‘Wynne Prize’ for a large green and gold medicine leaf painting entitled ‘Leaves’ in 1999.
The bush medicine leaves are collected by the women and are highly prized for their restorative powers as part of traditional health practices.
Bush medicine leaves derive from a particular native shrub which grows abundantly in the desert regions of Australia. During the life of the plant, the leaves change colour and exhibit different medicinal properties. The artists who paint this story represent the leaves as they float to the ground, and they employ a range of brush strokes and colours to represent the leaves at different times of the year.
When the leaves of the shrub are green they are gathered by the women and ground up using a stone. Then the medicine leaf compound is mixed with water to form a milky solution, which can be used to cure coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms.
Also the medicine leaves can be collected and boiled to extract the resin, which is then mixed together with kangaroo fat. The paste that is created can be stored for six months in bush conditions. This resulting medicine can then be used to heal cuts, wounds, bites, rashes and spread as an insect repellent.
The bush medicine leaves can also be made into a mixture to apply to aching joints or to place on the temples to cure headaches. Like all aspects of traditional Aboriginal culture, knowledge of bush medicine has been passed down from generation to generation over thousands of years, and is still being used today by the Indigenous Peoples of Australia.
People often remark that medicine leaf paintings are mesmerising as grass blowing in the wind, seaweed swirling with the tide, or of course, leaves being blown across the ground by a fitful breeze. Almost everyone, when they first see a medicine leaf painting, is entranced by the style, and it is highly popular, particularly resonating with citizens of the USA. In Australia and internationally, many doctors and other medical workers purchase medicine leaf paintings to hang in their consulting rooms, as an aboriginal artwork with medical or healing connotations.
Out of stock
Ready to become an art collector? Read more information and answers to frequently asked questions about this collector's item below.
Grab a cuppa, sit back and relax. Escape by browsing through my vast range of brightly colourful artworks with beautifully captivating stories.
I acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Custodians of the land we live and work on. I extend my respects to Elders, both past, present and emerging; and recognise the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
