Desert Winter 1994

Emily Kame Kngwarreye made this painting, Desert Winter, with paint on canvas. The warm yellows, oranges, and reds really evoke the feeling of heat, but there’s also something about the repetitive mark-making that suggests a kind of coolness, a winter stillness. It’s a process of building up layers, dot by dot, line by line, like the desert itself accumulating sand over time. Look closely at those individual marks. Each one is so simple, but together they create this complex, shimmering surface. You can almost feel the dryness of the desert air, the way the light bounces off the sand. It reminds me of Agnes Martin, another artist who used repetition and subtle color to create a sense of meditative space. Ultimately, Desert Winter is about seeing the world in a new way, finding beauty in the most unexpected places, and trusting the process of creation to lead you to something truly special.