Emily Kam Kngwarray
2 Dec 2023 – 28 Apr 2024

Emily Kam Kngwarray, Anmatyerre people, Yam awely, 1995, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, gift of the Delmore Collection, Donald and Janet Holt 1995, © Emily Kam Kngwarray/Copyright Agency, 2022
'[My paintings are the] whole lot, that’s all, whole lot: awelye (my dreaming), arlatyeye (pencil yam), arkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard), ntange (grass seed), ingu (dog), ankerre (emu) intekwe (plants, emu food), atnwerle (green bean) and yam seed.
That’s what I paint, whole lot…’
About
Emily Kam Kngwarray celebrates the timeless art of a pre-eminent Australian artist, one of the world’s most significant contemporary painters to emerge in the 20th century. A senior Anmatyerre woman, Kngwarray’s devoted her final years to painting, creating works that encapsulate the experience and authority she gained throughout an extraordinary life.
The exhibition will be an extensive survey of Emily Kam Kngwarray’s work, bringing together the most important works of her oeuvre, from early vibrant batiks to her later monumental paintings on canvas. An audio-visual project created in collaboration with artist’s community will feature as part of the exhibition, weaving through the songs of the awelye that informed Kngwarray’s works in soundscapes and audio tours.
Emily Kam Kngwarray includes paintings, textiles (batiks), sculptures, and works on paper drawn from international and national collections. Many never before seen works from tightly held private collections are included in this exhibition, along with new acquisitions of the artist’s seminal works in the national collection.
Exhibition tickets will go on sale in September. Join as a National Gallery Member and receive access to pre-sale tickets and the latest information on exhibitions, exclusive events and more.
Curators: Kelli Cole, Warumunga and Luritja people, Curator, Special Projects, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, and Hetti Perkins, Arrernte and Kalkadoon peoples, Senior Curator-at-Large, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art.

Emily Kam Kngwarray, Untitled (awelye), 1994, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased 2022 in celebration of the National Gallery of Australia's 40th anniversary, with the assistance of the Foundation Gala Dinner Fund 2021 © Emily Kam Kngwarray/Copyright Agency, 2022

Emily Kam Kngwarray, Anmatyerre people, Ntange Dreaming, 1989, purchased 1989. © Emily Kam Kngwarray/Copyright Agency.

Emily Kam Kngwarray, Anmatyerre people, Seeds of abundance, 1990, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased 1991 © Emily Kam Kngwarray/Copyright Agency, 2022

Emily Kam Kngwarray, Anmatyerre people, No title 1991, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased 1991 © Emily Kam Kngwarray/Copyright Agency, 2022