Colourful and densely dotted acrylic paintings like this are associated with the artistic communities of central and Western Australia. Since the second half of the twentieth century, Aboriginal artists in these regions have adapted the iconography of ritual body painting and sacred ground marking for paint and canvas, a medium more saleable in the western-dominated art market.

The design represents elements of indigenous mythology known as ‘The Dreaming’. In many instances, these motifs appear abstract to the uninitiated viewer, deliberately preserving the secrecy of sacred forms. Here, the palette of yellows, oranges, browns and purples reflects the earthy colours of indigenous body and ground painting.

This painting was presented to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on their visit to Alice Springs by Chief Minister Hon Denis Burke, 30 March 2000.