If you thought Aboriginal art is just dot-painting, look again. While the dot-and-circle drawing, signifying a bird’s eye-view of the land, was made by the Papunya artists of the central and western deserts, the bark paintings from Arnhem follow an X-ray style, showing the internal organs of fish, animals and birds. Then there are cross-hatchings that belong to certain clans. “There were 250 groups of indigenous people living in and around Australia and their styles were as varied as their landscapes,” says Musale.

Of the many styles and types of art, the most interesting are the mouthless Wandjna figures made by artists of the Kimberly region. Traditionally made on rock faces and caves, these are depictions of ancestors. And these will travel to Delhi as Mengelsons’ audio-visual show.

The art is replete with rituals, rules and paintings of Dreamtime. “Under their law, indigenous artists are only allowed to paint Dreaming stories about their country and ancestors. Painting about other indigenous people amounts to stealing or copyright violation and calls for punishment,” explains Mengelsons.

Since a lot of aboriginal art is now done on canvas rather than on the ground, rock faces or trees, the workshop will include a variety of material — from canvas to pottery. The educators insist that far from being “dead”, aboriginal art is alive and well. “It is the written language of the people, a part of an unbroken tradition that is closely connected to ceremonies and cultural practices,” says Musale.