The painting depicts waves generated on the Sepik River by strong winds. Kwoma artists often anthropomorhise natural objects and give them human faces or features of faces. The artist identified two black roundels on either side of the midpoint of the design as the waves “eyes’. Two large black ovoid shapes at the top and bottom of painting depict the ‘source’ of the waves below the surface of the water. The waves are represented by the various U- or V-shaped lines or bands painted in different colours.