Emily Kam Kngwarray

Renowned Australian artist Emily Kam Kngwarray (c.1914–1996) created compelling, powerful works that reflect her extraordinary life as an Anmatyerr woman born in Alhalker in the Sandover region of the Northern Territory of Australia.

One of the world’s most significant painters to emerge in the late 20th century, her lived experience and cultural connections to her Country was translated into vibrant batiks and later into monumental paintings on canvas. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the concept of Country encompasses the lands, skies and waters to which they are deeply connected, over countless generations. Country is a shared place of spiritual, social and geographical origins. Kngwarray’s art embodies her detailed knowledge of the places where she lived throughout her life with layered motifs representing the plants, animals and geological features that formed the desert ecosystems around her.

Discover rich textiles, paintings, film and audio elements that embody the expansive scope of Kngwarray’s Ancestral Country and culture.

Created in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), this will be the first large-scale presentation of Kngwarray’s work ever held in Europe and a celebration of her extraordinary career as one of Australia’s greatest artists.

Exhibition organised by Tate Modern, and the National Gallery of Australia based on an exhibition curated by Kelli Cole, Warumungu and Luritja peoples and Hetti Perkins, Arrernte and Kalkadoon peoples. Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern is curated by Kelli Cole.