Melisha Possum / Women’s Dreaming – My Great Grandmother’s Country (19803)

Melisha Possum was born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1999. She is the granddaughter of Clifford Possum Tjapaltjairri, AO (c. 1937 – 2002), Australia’s most celebrated Aboriginal artist. Clifford’s art hangs in all of the major collections and museums worldwide, he presented his art to the Queen, and features in numerous important publications on the Masters of Australian Art.

Melisha is the youngest daughter of senior artist Michelle Possum Nungurrayi and Heath Tjangala. Michelle is the youngest child of Clifford making Melisha (and her 3 sisters) the third generation of artists in her family. Michelle, along with her older sister Gabriella, were taught to paint by Clifford and they both carry forward the traditional stories, style and much of the iconography of Clifford Possum, albeit with stronger colour and the addition of women’s ceremonial stories and other women’s dreamings.

Melisha learnt to paint by observing and assisting her mother. Her art is colourful and dramatic in style, depicting the dreaming stories and women’s ceremonial activities of her paternal great-grandmother Long Rose Nungala, combined with the bold and precise imaging of her grandfather, aunty and mother’s artworks.

The Women’s Dreaming paintings by Melisha depicts Women’s ceremonial sites surrounding Tjukurla in the western desert of Central Australia – traditional homelands to the artist’s family. Ceremonial sites carry a deep spiritual meaning and it is where the women narrate their sacred Aboriginal dreamtime stories, through song lines, dance cycles and body paint. This painting has many secret and sacred landmarks and iconography but also includes the important fire, bush tucker and waterholes that are imperative to the women as the ceremonies can last for over a week. Though primarily a landscape painting Melisha has surpassed the basic stories and landmarks and has expanded this art of body painting and ceremonial themes into a classic contemporary composition, using modern acrylic paints.