Bush Connections Artwork
Northpharm has reached another milestone, unveiling the fourth masterpiece in a series of five commissioned works. The latest piece, once again brought to life by Larrakia and Warramunga artist Rochelle Minberrignully Fejo-Tasker, shifts the focus to the heart of the outback, standing as a beautiful tribute to the communities Northpharm services across the central Northern Territory.
Titled 'Bush Connections,' this new work tells the vital story of a medical pharmacy acting as a central place of healing, support, and connection for remote communities.
Bush Connections
This artwork is the fourth of five commissioned pieces for Northpharm. It is tribute to the communities we service in central NT. It tells the story of a medical pharmacy as a central place of healing and connection for remote communities.
The large circle in the centre represents the main base (Alice Springs pharmacy); a place where care, knowledge, and medicine come together. Radiating outward from this centre are connecting lines that lead to smaller circles, symbolising remote communities linked through shared access to health services, support, and cultural care.
Flowing through the artwork is the Rainbow Serpent; a shared ancestral totem with dream time stories that vary in versions across different tribes. Representing life, protection, and the movement of healing knowledge across Country. The serpent’s path connects communities, reinforcing the importance of continuity, balance, and ancestral guidance in wellbeing.
Medicine leaves are scattered throughout the painting, symbolising bush medicines and traditional healing practices. The surrounding-coloured dots represent the many different types of bush medicines and natural remedies, highlighting the diversity and strength of Aboriginal knowledge systems.
Soft smoky sections appear across the artwork to represent smoking ceremonies, symbolising cleansing.
Symbolism of Bush Connections
At the heart of the painting sits a large central circle representing the main base—the Alice Springs pharmacy. It is depicted as a gathering place where care, knowledge, and medicine come together. Radiating outward from this center are connecting lines that lead to smaller circles, symbolising the network of remote communities linked through shared access to health services and cultural care.
Flowing powerfully through the artwork is the Rainbow Serpent, a shared ancestral totem woven through the Dreamtime stories of many tribes. It represents life, protection, and the movement of healing knowledge across Country. The serpent’s path bridges these communities, reinforcing the importance of continuity, balance, and ancestral guidance in overall wellbeing.
The canvas is also rich with natural imagery: medicine leaves are scattered throughout to symbolise traditional healing practices, while surrounding coloured dots represent the vast diversity of bush medicines, highlighting the enduring strength of Aboriginal knowledge systems. Completing the piece are soft, smoky sections that evoke traditional smoking ceremonies, symbolising spiritual and physical cleansing.
The Journey Nears Completion
As the fourth installment in a five-part series, 'Bush Connections' brings us one step closer to telling the complete story of Northpharm’s reach and relationships across the Northern Territory. To follow the progress of this artistic journey or to see more of the artist’s portfolio, you can visit Rochelle Minberrignully Fejo-Tasker’s Facebook page.
