Tate Modern’s landmark retrospective of Emily Kam Kngwarray (c.1914–1996) is nothing short of revelatory. As the first major solo exhibition in Europe dedicated to this towering figure of contemporary art, it offers a rare and deeply moving insight into the creative vision of a senior Anmatyerr woman who only began painting in her seventies–and yet, in less than a decade, produced a body of work that has resonated globally.
Walking through the exhibition feels like stepping into a living archive of Kngwarray’s world–a place shaped by ancestral knowledge, ceremonial traditions, and the natural rhythms of her Country, Alhalker, in the Sandover region of Australia’s Northern Territory. From early Batik works made in the 1970s to monumental canvases bursting with colour, each room unveils the evolution of a singular artistic voice, forged not in dialogue with the Western canon, but in deep conversation with land, community, and ceremony.
The exhibition opens with a delicate batik on cotton from 1977, leading into Emu Woman (1988), Kngwarray’s first work on canvas–a breakthrough piece that marked her arrival on the national stage. Her depictions of the emu (ankerr), the pencil yam (anwerlarr), and its seedpods (kam) are not simply decorative motifs, but intimate expressions
of ecological knowledge and kinship. The works reflect a language of place–encoded with meaning, memory, and myth.
One of the show’s most immersive moments comes in a gallery where Kngwarray’s silk and cotton batiks cascade from ceiling to floor, surrounding viewers with the earthy palette and tactile beauty of her homeland. From here, the exhibition builds in scale and ambition, culminating in The Alhalker Suite (1993)–a monumental 22-panel tribute to the eternal life force (Altyerr) that animates the land. Painted with a palette expanded to include pastel pinks and blues, the suite captures the seasonal transformations of the desert, evoking blooming wildflowers, ancient rock formations, and the endless, sacred continuity of Country.
Works from the late period of her career reveal yet another shift. In pieces such as Untitled (Awely) (1994), once the centerpiece of the Australian Pavilion at the 1997 Venice Biennale, Kngwarray abandoned dots and intricate patterning in favour of bold, gestural lines. These parallel strokes, rendered in ochre-reds and yellows on white grounds, recall the bodily movements of awely (women’s ceremony), where paint is applied directly to the skin. The effect is visceral–the gestures intimate, rhythmic, and filled with presence.
The exhibition closes with Yam Awely (1995), a vibrant and intricately layered painting that intertwines yams, grasses, and ceremonial markings. It’s a fitting end to a journey that is both personal and universal–a reminder that Kngwarray’s art is not just about place, but also about continuity, legacy, and life itself.
Organised in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia, and featuring over 70 works–many never before shown outside Australia–this retrospective is a rare and essential opportunity for European audiences. Emily Kam Kngwarray’s art transcends geography and genre. It is not only a celebration of Indigenous knowledge and cultural resilience, but a testament to how one woman, late in life, redefined the very possibilities of painting.
Verdict: A profound, moving, and unforgettable exhibition. Don’t miss it.
Emily Kam Kngwarray is at Tate Modern until 11th January, 2026. Find more information here.
