Emily Kam Kngwarray

A lush large‑scale publication accompanying the major exhibition celebrating the monumental art of Emily Kam Kngwarray, one of the most significant painters of the twentieth century.

Emily Kam Kngwarray (c.1914–1996) translated her lived experience and cultural engagement with her Anmatyerr homelands in Central Australia into vibrant batiks and monumental paintings on canvas.

In her vast and astonishing oeuvre, Kngwarray embodied the majestic scope of her country and ancestral heritage. She layered motifs representing the plants, animals, and geological features that formed the desert ecosystems around her. Her unique style and powerful creative vision redefined aboriginal art and gained worldwide attention.

Created in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), this is the first large-scale presentation of the artist’s work ever held in Europe and a celebration of her astonishing career. Generously illustrated, the publication brings together Kngwarray’s most significant works and includes archival material and a visual record of community consultations and visits to Kngwarray’s country.

The publication and exhibition has been organized by Tate Modern and the National Gallery of Australia based on an exhibition and curated by Kelli Cole, Warumungu and Luritja peoples, and Hetti Perkins, Arrernte and Kalkadoon peoples.