Yalmakany Marawili was born in 1957 and is a mid generation and well respected Mardarrpa artist from East Arnhem Land.

Her father was Wakuthi and her mother is the leading bark artist Mulkun Wirrpanda, Her brother is the high profile artist and leader Djambawa Marawili (sounds like djam-buwa mar-a-wi-li) and her sister is the painter Gurrundul Marawili. Her husband is Waninya Marika OAM and she lives between her homeland of Yilpara and the community town of Yirrkala. She has been a prolific painter of bark and hollow logs for a number of years with several successful exhibitions in leading galleries.

This painting depicts the yam (Yukul) which is a symbol of increase and fertility - whose potency is reinforced by ceremonial dance. Tubers and vines have been depicted on a generic cross hatched ground denoting the secular nature of this painting. Yalmakany says of this painting; Yukuwa - root food - vine (small scrambling plant) with long edible root. Vigna Vexillata, V. lanceolata 'Yukuwa (yam) is ŋatha (food) that grows in wet season time. After the wet season when the leaves fall down, at that time we always go into the grass to get some yams. When we go we can see the vine string part of the plant in the trees. We follow the string to dig a hole to get the Yukuwa.

After that we go down to the beach to make a fire. When the fire burns down we take the coals to one side and put sand on top of them. Then the hot sand cooks the Yukuwa.'