What is Bush Onion Dreaming? | Aboriginal Art Explained
Bush Onion Dreaming celebrates a small bush food that has long sustained people in the Central Desert. In the Warlpiri language the bush onion is called janmarda.
The Bush Onion
The bush onion (Cyperus bulbosus) is a grass-like sedge that grows small bulbs just beneath the surface of the soil. Women dig the bulbs, which can be eaten raw or roasted in hot sand and ashes.
The Story
Bush onion stories belong to particular families and places, and each artist paints the version they have the right to paint. One well-documented Janmarda Jukurrpa (Bush Onion Dreaming) site is Purrupurru, north of Yuendumu, where the story tells of women collecting and cooking janmarda. Because these stories are held by custodians, paintings share only the public parts.
The Paintings
In Bush Onion paintings, clusters of circles or rounded shapes often represent the bulbs, while fine dotting can show the plants, their seeds and the ground they grow in. Lines and pathways may mark the movement of women gathering them across country.
Bush Onion Artists at Art by Farquhar
Nancy Martin Napangarti and Tansy Martin both paint Bush Onion for Art by Farquhar. Nancy's works range from intimate pieces to large canvases, and Tansy is known for fine, detailed dot work.
To learn more, read our guides to the Dreaming and Aboriginal dot painting.
Browse Bush Onion paintings by Tansy Martin and Nancy Martin Napangarti.
Art by Farquhar is a member of the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia.