Aboriginal Medicine Leaf Paintings

Please enjoy our beautiful selection of artworks depicting Bush Medicine Leaves.

The artists who depict bush medicine leaves are the Anmatyerre women from the Utopia community, located in the north west corner of the Simpson desert and roughly 350km north east of Alice Springs, along the Sandover Highway. Aboriginal people living in some of the planet’s most arid environment have, since time immemorial, exploited all manner of plant food – from nectars and fruit, to flowers, gum and tubers. One plant that is highly prized for its restorative powers as part of traditional health practices, as well as being crucial to Anmatyerre women’s ceremonies, is the native shrub that bears the bush medicine leaves. During the life of the plant, the leaves change colour and possess different medicinal properties.

To ensure the continued regeneration of the plant, the Anmatyerre women pay homage to the spirit of the bush medicine leaf plant by recreating it in their ceremonies through song and dance, and in recent years, through painting.

Artworks Found:  152 - Page: 1 of 7

Price: $9,995.00
Size: H-120 x W-184 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0074

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0074

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $3,995.00
Size: H-90 x W-150 cm.

Bush Yam Leaves - JPEG0933

Bush Yam Leaves - JPEG0933

Jeannie Petyarre

Price: $2,200.00
Size: H-62 x W-150 cm.

Bush Yam Leaves - RPEG0471

Bush Yam Leaves - RPEG0471

Rosemary Petyarre

Price: $6,500.00
Size: H-92 x W-152 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0094

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0094

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $6,500.00
Size: H-150 x W-92 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0096

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0096

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $4,995.00
Size: H-92 x W-121 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0098

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0098

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $2,495.00
Size: H-61 x W-92 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKJ0009

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKJ0009

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $8,500.00
Size: H-91 x W-182 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKJ0012

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKJ0012

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $17,500.00
Size: H-90 x W-150 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1313

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1313

Gloria Petyarre

Price: $4,995.00
Size: H-92 x W-120 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0062

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0062

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $6,500.00
Size: H-91 x W-150 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0065

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0065

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $5,995.00
Size: H-61 x W-90 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEMG1428

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEMG1428

Gloria Petyarre

Price: $3,495.00
Size: H-75 x W-107 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0073

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0073

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $8,500.00
Size: H-90 x W-180 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0071

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0071

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $4,995.00
Size: H-92 x W-122 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0076

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0076

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $4,995.00
Size: H-120 x W-180 cm.

Bush Yam Leaves - DLPG0243

Bush Yam Leaves - DLPG0243

Dulcie Long Pula

Price: $1,350.00
Size: H-30 x W-183 cm.

Bush Yam Leaves - DLPG0265

Bush Yam Leaves - DLPG0265

Dulcie Long Pula

Price: $2,200.00
Size: H-76 x W-107 cm.

Bush Yam Leaves - JPEG0923

Bush Yam Leaves - JPEG0923

Jeannie Petyarre

Price: $1,650.00
Size: H-76 x W-92 cm.

Bush Yam Leaves - RPEG0461

Bush Yam Leaves - RPEG0461

Rosemary Petyarre

Price: $17,500.00
Size: H-122 x W-182 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEG0496

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEG0496

Gloria Petyarre

Price: $9,995.00
Size: H-90 x W-90 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1002

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1002

Gloria Petyarre

Price: $9,995.00
Size: H-92 x W-211 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0101

Bush Medicine Leaves - ALKG0101

Abie Loy Kemarre

Price: $5,995.00
Size: H-91 x W-61 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1421

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1421

Gloria Petyarre

Price: $5,995.00
Size: H-91 x W-60 cm.

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1574

Bush Medicine Leaves - GPEAR1574

Gloria Petyarre

Artworks Found:  152 - Page: 1 of 7

The first artist to depict the bush medicine leaves on canvas was Gloria Petyarre, who burst onto the Australian art scene in 1999 when she won the prestigious Wynne Prize for Landscape. The work in question was a large green and gold medicine leaf painting (entitled 'Leaves'). The leaves were very fine – each resulting from a dot with a tail that tapered off to nothing – but not just one leaf; a dense pattern of thousands of them, all seemingly flowing to the tune of some breeze swirling them in unison.

Gloria’s remarkable ability to depict her ancient dreaming stories in a highly contemporary and expressive manner has been an inspiration for other Anmatyerre women to pick up leaf related Dreamings and put their own interpretation on them using acrylic on linen. Their interpretation of the bush medicine leaves, bush yam leaves and seeds reflect the continued importance of the native flora to the Anmatyerre people today.