Martha Nakamarra Poulson / Bush Tucker (1913-26)

Artwork is accompanied by Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu) Art Centre Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance

Martha Nakamarra Poulson was born in Yuendumu in 1949 and later settled permanently in Ali Curung, formerly known as Warrabri. She is married to the older brother of artist Neville Poulson.

Martha’s paintings are deeply connected to the bush landscape around Ali Curung, Wycliffe Well and Yuendumu. Her work often reflects her memories of travelling through Country with the old people, hunting, gathering bush foods and learning about the plants, animals and places that shaped her early life.

She began painting in 2003 at the Ali Curung Old Women’s Centre and went on to become one of the founding members of Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre in 2008. While her earlier paintings focused more strongly on Jukurrpa, or Dreaming stories, Martha’s later work often centres on bush tucker and personal memories of life on Country.

Yuparli, or bush banana, ngayaki, or bush tomato, and other plants and features of the landscape appear throughout her paintings. Her style is playful, colourful and expressive, with loose, lively brushwork and shifting perspectives that give her work a wonderfully animated quality. Martha’s paintings often feel full of movement, abundance and personality, capturing both the beauty of the bush and the joy of remembering time spent with family and old people.

Martha continues to travel regularly to Yuendumu to visit family and paint at Warlukurlangu Artists.

This painting depicts bush tucker, food collected by karnta (women) while out hunting.

There is a wide variety of traditional food that warlpiri people continue to gather and consume as a part of their diet. Many of the foods have their own Jukurrpa (dreaming) associated with them.

Some of the common bush tucker foods are ngarlkirdi (witchetty grub), wanakiji (bush tomato), yarla (bush potato), janmarda (bush onion), ngarlajiyi (bush carrot), Lukarrara (fringe rush seed), and yuparli (bush banana).