The painting refers to the pencil yam (atnwelarr), a slender twining plant with yellow pea flowers and edible tubers. To the anmatyerr Aboriginal people from Utopia in Central Australia, atnwelarr has been an abundant food source since the beginning of Dreamtime.

The anmatyerr women locate the bush yams by digging deep in the soil using a digging stick. The yams are exposed amongst the root system of the yam bush. The yam seeds lay dormant until the rains come, upon which the vines regenerate.

The women pay homage though song and dance.

If you would like to know more about the Bush Yam Dreaming and the relationship with Aboriginal Art and culture, please read the following articles:

• Aboriginal Food
• Aboriginal Women
• Utopia Aboriginal Art: Aboriginal Paintings from the Central Desert