rochelle bird
Rochelle Bird Mbitjana, the eldest offspring of the prominent Utopia artist Janet Golder Kngwarreye, hails from a family deeply rooted in artistic talent. Her lineage includes esteemed Utopia artists Polly Ngale and Angelina Pwerle as great-grandmothers, senior lawman and artist Greeny Purvis as a great-uncle and Belinda Golder Kngwarreye as an aunt.
Rochelle acquired her painting skills through observation and assistance from her mother and other female relatives. Her unique style is characterized by intricate dot work, skilful use of colour, and meticulous attention to detail, indicating a promising trajectory toward the upper echelons of her profession.
Meaning of the Painting
Rochelle has depicted a Women's Dreaming narrative in her artwork, incorporating elements of her homeland, including bush tucker and waterholes that hold significance for women's ceremonial activities lasting up to a week. These ceremonies are conducted at specific sites, one of which pertains to the Desert Yam (or Bush Plum) story from her family's territory.
The Desert Yam, a subterranean tuber with an above-ground viny shrub reaching up to one meter in height, thrives predominantly on Spinifex sand plains and blossoms extensively following summer rainfall. Resembling the common sweet potato in taste, this yam serves as a dietary staple for desert aborigines and is consumable raw or cooked throughout the year. Additionally, it boasts medicinal properties, employed in the treatment of wounds, cuts, bites, and rashes, as well as a natural insect repellent.
During ceremonial observances, women offer reverence to the spirit of this exceptional plant, aspiring to foster its regeneration.
