A tall, blue-grey tree trunk stands at the center of Mata Mua, dividing the composition and anchoring the scene. To the lower right, two women in white dresses sit on the ground, one gazing downward and the other turning slightly toward her companion, their dark hair falling over their shoulders. Behind the tree, a group of three women in white garments walk toward a large purple statue seated on a plinth, their gestures suggesting movement and ritual.

The statue, with its stylized features and monumental presence, faces left and is partially framed by a yellow-orange palm tree that rises against the dark purple hills in the background. A house or hut with a sloping roof appears in the upper right, nestled among green foliage and set against the undulating hills. The sky is painted in swirling tones of lavender, cream, and pale yellow, with clouds that echo the rounded forms of the trees below.

Gauguin uses bold, flat areas of color—vivid greens, deep reds, and brilliant yellows—to create a decorative, dreamlike landscape. The brushwork is visible in the textured surface, especially in the tree trunk and the foliage, where strokes of paint suggest movement and depth. The composition is carefully balanced, with the vertical tree dividing the space and the figures arranged in clusters that guide the viewer's gaze across the scene. The work is associated with the Post-impressionism movement, as noted in the museum's records.

The painting is categorized as genre art, landscape painting, and religious art, reflecting its combination of everyday life, lush scenery, and spiritual motifs.