This painting depicts awelye . The women apply with a typale body paint designs to their upper body and thighs from ground ochre, charcoal and ash. Body paint designs or markings have been applied to womens bodies for over forty thousand years and is known as the world's oldest living culture.

Women's ceremonies include many song lines and dance cycles and they generally occur at spiritually significant places. At these sites often the women will draw depictions in the sand, which now is transferred onto canvas or modern artists materials. These ceremonies are extremely important because the women pay homage to their country and Dreaming story they are attached to.

If you would like to know more about Awelye and the relationship with Aboriginal Art and culture, please read the following articles or to view video footage of Aboriginal women applying awelye:

• Awelye (Women's Ceremony) Art
• Aboriginal Women
• Aboriginal Spirituality
• Utopia Aboriginal Art: Aboriginal Paintings from the Central Desert
• Video Aboriginal women applying Awelye