My Country / Hailstorm 

Kathleen Petyarre created "My Country/Hailstorm," using acrylic on canvas to depict the essence of her ancestral lands. The delicate horizontal lines represent the rhythmic patterns of hailstorms, events deeply connected to the land's spirit and the ancestral stories passed down through generations. These lines remind us of the ancient Greek depictions of flowing water, seen in vase paintings, which symbolize life's ever-changing course. But here, in Petyarre’s work, they evoke a different emotion. Rather than a gentle stream, they capture the dramatic energy of a hailstorm. This connection resonates with the universal human experience of confronting nature's powerful forces. The motif of the storm, as a symbol of purification, also appears in Renaissance art, where storms often accompany scenes of baptism or divine intervention. Here, the hailstorm connects the viewer to the profound emotional impact of natural phenomena. This artwork serves as a powerful reminder of the cyclical nature of life.