Sharon Numina
“Bush Medicine Leaves” is a striking original by acclaimed Utopia artist Sharon Numina, celebrated for her flowing brushwork, fine detail and strong cultural storytelling.
In this work, Sharon paints the Bush Medicine Leaves – one of the most important native healing plants of Central Australia. Traditionally, women from Utopia travel across Country to collect these leaves, carrying them back to camp in large coolamons. The leaves are then boiled to extract resin, which is mixed with kangaroo fat to create a powerful medicinal paste used to treat cuts, bites, rashes, skin irritations and as a natural insect repellent.
The rhythmic movement of Sharon’s mark‑making captures the swaying of the leaves in the desert wind and the ongoing renewal of Country. This piece is rich in cultural meaning and visually captivating, making it a standout statement work for both contemporary and traditional interiors.
Sharon Numina is a respected younger member of the Numina Sisters, an influential family of desert artists whose works are collected across Australia and internationally.
Born in 1981, Sharon completed schooling at Kormilda College in Darwin. She is one of six sisters and two brothers. Her mother, Barbara Price Mbitjana, a senior artist from Stirling Station near Tennant Creek, taught Sharon and her sisters to paint and passed down important cultural stories. Sharon’s late father was from Utopia, further connecting her to one of Australia’s most significant Aboriginal art regions.
Sharon’s paintings draw from both her mother’s and father’s Country and often depict Bush Tucker, Goanna, Dingo Tracks and other ancestral narratives. Her extended family includes celebrated artists Gloria Petyarre and Kathleen Petyarre, whose works have helped shape the global recognition of Central Desert art.
Now based in Darwin, NT, Sharon paints alongside several of her sisters, continuing the Numina legacy with works admired for their movement, detail, and cultural depth.
With this artwork, you will receive:
This is a unique, original painting. Once sold, it cannot be reproduced in the same way – a meaningful and collectible addition to any serious or emerging art collection.
