Emily Kame Kngwarreye
Anwerlarr angerr (Big yam)
1996
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
401 x 245 cm
Collection of National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Untitled
1992
Synthetic polymer paint on canvas
164 x 227 cm
Private collection
Courtesy of Milani Gallery, Brisbane
My Country
1992
Acrylic on linen
175 x 404 x 4 cm
Private collection
Courtesy of FireWorks Gallery, Brisbane
Yam Multi Color
c.1995
Acrylic on canvas
120 x 90 cm
Private collection
An Anmatyerre elder and lifelong custodian of women’s ‘dreaming’ sites in her clan country of Alhalkere, Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1910–1996) developed an abstract visual language centred around ancestral spirits and Australian Aboriginal cosmology. On display is posthumous selection of her artworks. In each of her abstract compositions, Aboriginal cultural traditions and the natural environment emerge through dominant earth tones and bold, gestural dot work. The canvases thus uniquely echo the linear patterns derived from the designs of Aboriginal ceremonial body paint. Works such as Anwelarr angerr (Big yam) (1996) and My Country (1992) convey a dynamism and colour palette stemming from a deep connection to her tribal homeland, which informed every aspect of her art and life.