Merne Atherrke 1994

Emily Kame Kngwarreye made this glorious painting, Merne Atherrke, with a brush loaded with warm orange and yellow hues. It's a shimmering surface, pulsating with life. I can just imagine Emily, standing before the canvas, dabbing and layering these vibrant tones, almost like weaving light itself. The paint isn’t too thick, but there are many layers, creating a sense of depth. Look closely at the way she's built up the surface with these tiny, repetitive marks. To me, the way the brushstrokes move vertically, like rain, is not an accident: it’s like a gentle rhythm, a quiet hum that speaks to the artist’s connection to the landscape. Kngwarreye’s paintings always make me think about Agnes Martin, another painter who was very interested in simple abstract forms and repetition. Painters are always building on each other's ideas, finding new ways to express something deeply felt. There are no fixed meanings, only possibilities.