Women's Dancing Fire Ceremony 2012

Michelle Possum Nungurrayi painted 'Women's Dancing Fire Ceremony' using acrylic on canvas. It feels like I'm looking at the land from above, all this ochre, with the sky turned upside down to meet it. I can almost feel Michelle standing over the canvas, hour after hour, patiently making marks. These aren't quick gestures, they're built up. It’s not just about representing something, but more about that build-up and duration. The colours are amazing, you know? Those warm reds mixing with cooler blues… and that long, straight band of yellow with dots. I wonder if that’s the fire, with everyone gathered around? It could also be the edge of a river; who am I to say? It reminds me that all painters are always in conversation, borrowing and riffing off each other. Michelle is part of that conversation; her painting is her voice. And she's not telling us what to think, she’s letting us wonder.