Sacred Water

“Sacred Water” by Traphina Sultan pays tribute to one of the most vital and spiritual elements of Country — water. In desert life, water is more than survival; it is a sacred force that connects people, land, and the Dreaming.

The flowing patterns in the artwork represent the movement of water through creeks, rockholes, and underground springs — the veins of the land. Each ripple and curve symbolises life’s continuity, the renewal that follows rain, and the ancestral stories tied to sacred water sites.

Sultan’s use of layered motion reflects both physical and spiritual depth: water as healing, cleansing, and connection. This piece honours the traditional knowledge that guides where water lies hidden beneath the earth and celebrates the respect given to these life-giving places in ceremony, story, and songline.