They are created using various minerals to pigment plant material, which is then meticulously arranged by several people to form a picture of a historic event.
The pigments used traditionally come from the natural resources: lime for white, ochre for yellow, clay for red, coal for black.
They are commonly seen on deity figures, the genitalia and thighs of women giving birth, and mythical creatures.
This kind of surrealism common to Oceania gained many admirers, notably Picasso and his peers in the Surrealist movement.
This plagiarism, as well as the commonly accepted but incorrect association between dreamtime and sleeping, has become a point of much controversy and anger from native Oceanic inhabitants.