Introduction
Unit is proud to present Tjukurrpa: The Dreaming, a landmark exhibition, in collaboration with the SmithDavidson Collection, showcasing nine leading Indigenous Australian artists, opening in London, UK on Wednesday, July 9th.
The exhibition spotlights the extraordinary work of Aboriginal artists, most notably Emily Kam Kngwarray (c.1910-1996), the celebrated Anmatyerr painter now recognised globally as one of the 20th century’s most influential artists.
In anticipation of Kngwarray’s upcoming retrospective at Tate Modern, Tjukurrpa: The Dreaming arrives in London as a unique opportunity to take a wider look at the sublime power of one of the world’s oldest continuous painting traditions. The exhibition also looks beyond Kngwarray to survey her contemporaries and others later impacted by her work.
Alongside Kngwarray, the exhibition features prominent figures from the East Kimberly Art Movement and Western Desert Movement, including Rover Thomas Joolama, Paddy Nyunkuny Bedford, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrla, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, Makinti Napanangka, Tommy Watson and Patrick Olodoodi Tjungurrayi.
For Indigenous Australian and First Nation peoples, Tjkurrpa or The Dreaming represents an eternal continuum where ancestral spirits shape life, landscapes and sacred sites. Transmitted through stories, art, ceremony, and song, the Dreaming is a vibrant reality deeply connected to specific places and central to identity, with individuals and cultural groups acting as custodians of particular Dreamings that guide their spiritual practices and relationships.
Selected Works
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Alalgura / Emu Dreaming
1989
150 x 120 cm
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Alhalkere, My Country
1995
151 x 211 cm
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Yam Dreaming
1995
199 x 305 cm
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Yam Dreaming
1995
120 x 90 cm
Emily Kam Kngwarray
Awelye (My Story)
1996
117 x 532 cm
Paddy Nyunkuny Bedford
Janterrji – Dolly Hole
2004
80 x 100 cm
Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula
Bush Tucker After Rain
1971
61 x 46 cm
Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri
Untitled (Marawa)
2019
76 x 84 cm
Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri
Mouse Story (Dreaming)
1997
182 x 122 cm
Rover Thomas Joolama
Cyclone Tracy – Willy Willy
1995
183 x 181 cm
Essay
How Emily Kam Kngwarray Painted Her Way to Legend
During a whirlwind painting career that lasted just eight years, octogenarian Emily Kam Kngwarray became Aboriginal Australia’s most successful living artist and carved an enduring presence in the history of Australian art.
By the time she passed away on September the 2nd 1996 her fame had achieved mythic status with the Sydney Morning Herald obituary reported the ‘Passing of a Home Grown Monet’. By this time comparisons with a number of great international artists including Pollock, Kandinsky, Monet and Matisse, had become commonplace. Emily was an artistic superstar, the highest paid woman in the country, who created one of the most significant artistic legacies of our time.
Catalogue
In the Press
It’s No Longer Just Aboriginal-Art Connoisseurs Buying Emily Kam Kngwarray’s Dazzling Work
Artnet News
Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern — Aboriginal stories in explosive colour
Financial Times
Contemporary Indigenous Artists Are Finally Taking Centre Stage in the UK
The Art Newspaper
Biography
Emily Kam Kngwarray (Anmatyerr, 1910-1996) was born in Alhalkere, Northern Territory, and lived most of her life in the Utopia region. A highly regarded contemporary Australian artist and celebrated female First Nations painter, her artistic journey began late in life. Joining the Utopia Women’s Batik Group in 1978 and transitioning to painting in 1988, her debut painting, Emu Woman, marked a prolific yet brief career.
A senior member of the Anmatyerre language group and custodian of cultural sites, she began as a traditional ceremonial artist, learning women’s ceremonies and Awelye designs. In 1988, she began painting on canvas, inspired by Dreamtime stories, employing an extraordinary array of styles. Her works are known for vibrant colors, abstract forms, and a deep connection to her land and culture. She developed the “dump-dump” style, using layered dots and later, minimalist line paintings.
In 1992, she received an Australian Artists Creative Fellowship. Her impact transcends national borders, with a major retrospective in Tokyo and participation in the 56th Venice Biennale. Her first large-scale European solo exhibition is currently showing at the Tate Modern.
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