Mangarri (Bush Tucker)

Helen Nagomara

$1,600.00

In this painting, Helen invites us to journey into a piece of her mother’s sacred land, the late Milliga’s country. Located to the far south of Balgo, near Tjukurrla and Warakurna, this land is known as Gaugo, a place of profound spiritual significance. Through her brush, Helen reveals the varieties of mangarri, or bush food, that thrive in this blessed land. There is kumpupatja (bush tomato), witjirrki (wild fig bush onion), pamilyi (bush passionfruit), and tjurnta (bush seeds) — treasures hidden deep within the earth. In the desert, the local foods reflect the changing seasons, and through her painting, Helen tells the sacred story of this land, rich in abundance and nourishment. A land that feeds not only the body but the soul.