Bush Medicine Water Bottle - Annette Nungala Peterson

 "This painting shows bush medicine after summer rain, and all the little dots represent stones and seeds. When rain time comes flowers grow again."

Bush Medicine is a subject Annette Nungala Peterson returns to repeatedly in her painting, knowledge of bush medicine is taken very seriously in Indigenous culture and is often held by women. The science of bush medicine involves relationships with the Country, family, and a healthy way of life inherited by ancestors.

Annette Nungala Peterson was born at Neutral Junction Station in 1968, between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. She speaks Alyawarr and Kaytetye languages as well as English. Annette works at the Epenarra School where she dedicates her time to teaching language and culture to young ones. 

Annette started painting as a young girl and has re-invigorated this practice in recent years. Her subject matter varies between bush foods and the landscapes around Neutral Junction, which she paints with a rich and vibrant palette in her signature patchwork style.