B. 1910-1996

Born in the remote community of Utopia in the Northern Territory, Emily Kame Kngwarreye is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most significant contemporary Indigenous artists. A senior Anmatyerre woman, Kngwarreye began her artistic career later in life, having spent decades engaged in ceremonial art and batik making.

In 1988, at almost eighty years of age, she transitioned to painting on canvas, and over the next eight years produced an astonishing body of work - over 3,000 paintings, almost one a day - that distilled her cultural knowledge, spiritual custodianship, and deep connection to her Country, Alhalkere.

Her early canvases built upon ceremonial mark-making and body painting traditions, rendered in earthy ochres and dotted fields. As her confidence grew, her style evolved, first into dynamic fields of colour, then into bold linework, and eventually into gestural abstractions composed of thick brushstrokes and layered pigments.

Despite having no formal art education and no exposure to the western art world, Kngwarreye’s work drew critical acclaim both in Australia and internationally. Her paintings have been likened to Western abstraction, however her works were never abstract. Her subject remained constant: her Dreaming, her land, and all that it encompassed. In her words, “whole lot, that’s whole lot” - a reference to the entirety of her world, from yam seeds to emus, flowering desert plants to ancestral spirits. In the final decade of her life, Kngwarreye became an icon of Aboriginal art, transforming perceptions of contemporary Australian painting. Her work is held in all major national collections and continues to resonate as a powerful expression of cultural continuity.

In 2025, the Emily Kame Kngwarreye retrospective at Tate Modern marks a significant milestone as she becomes the first Indigenous Australian artist—and the first Indigenous woman—to be honoured with a solo exhibition at the prestigious institution. Showcasing her vibrant, abstract works that reflect her deep connection to Anmatyerre country and culture, the exhibition highlights Kngwarreye’s unique visual language and her pivotal role in contemporary art. The retrospective brings international recognition to her powerful expressions of land, identity, and spirituality, positioning her as a key figure not only within Australian art but also on the global stage.

To read a more in-depth biography of the artist, click here.