Anwerlarr anganenty (Big yam Dreaming) and Yam Awely were created in July and August of 1995 and subsequently entered the National Gallery of Victoria’s collection and the national collection in Canberra.
Big Yam Dreaming is the most ambitious of Kngwarray’s paintings, spanning over 8 metres in length and almost 3 metres wide. Trailing and matted lines writhe across the surface in a calligraphic panorama from which, in a feat of artistic triumph, the artist conjured an overall harmony. This was assisted by the use of a monochrome palette and consistent tension of the linework.
Perhaps inspired by the success of this work - which Kngwarray proudly invited her extended family to view two days after its completion - Kngwarray embarked on her next challenge. The intricate spirals of Yam Awely are condensed at the edges of the narrow 5 metre long canvas, subtly echoing the framing style of early batik works. Long strokes are expanded and contract, stitch together the inner and outer sections to create a seamless whole. And within this, glimpses of the woollybutt grass seen in previous works emerge and subside mirage-like. The interweaving of white, yellow and red mark colour-coded reference to the endless cycles of life.
