In collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia, Tate Modern is now presenting Europe's first major solo exhibition dedicated to one of the most extraordinary figures in international contemporary art, the late Emily Kam Kngwarray.
Kngwarray, who passed in 1996 aged in her early 80s, created captivating works which translated her lived experience and spiritual engagement with her Ancestral Country, Alhalker, into vibrant batiks and paintings on canvas.
Audiences to Tate Modern will discover rich textiles, paintings, film and audio elements that embody the breadth and depth of Kngwarray's Country, Community and culture.
Now open at Tate Modern in London until 11 January 2026, the exhibition has been made possible thanks to the support of Wesfarmers Arts, First Nations Arts Partner of the National Gallery of Australia.
The exhibition brings global attention to Kngwarray, a senior Anmatyerr artist, whose work embodies the cultural, spiritual and environmental connections of the Anmatyerr people of the Utopia region in the Northern Territory.
'Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern' has been curated by Kelli Cole, Warumungu and Luritja peoples, with Kimberley Moulton, Yorta Yorta peoples, and additional members of Tate Modern's curatorial team.
It follows the National Gallery's major retrospective in 2023 which Cole co-curated with Hetti Perkins, Arrernte and Kalkadoon peoples.
The National Gallery of Australia acknowledged the custodians of the Anmatyerr lands and the Community of Utopia, whose knowledge and cultural authority underpin the exhibition, which traces the artist's career, spanning from her early batiks and emergence as a painter in her late seventies to her final powerful expressions of Country in the 1990s.
Featuring more thann 80 works, the exhibition reveals Kngwarray's radical vision, her innovative use of colour and form and her deep-rooted connection to her cultural knowledge and landscape.
At the heart of the exhibition is one of Kngwarray's most ambitious works – The Alhalker suite 1993 from the collection of the National Gallery of Australia.
National Gallery Director Dr Nick Mitzevich said Kngwarray is "one of the most significant artists of the 20th century — not just in Australia, but globally".
"Her work transcends conventional art historical narratives and speaks to the enduring presence of First Nations culture on this continent," he said.
"We are honoured to partner with Tate Modern and are grateful to Wesfarmers Arts for supporting this opportunity to share Kngwarray's story further with the world."
Emily Kam Kngwarray highlights the National Gallery and Tate Modern's "shared commitment to women artists and First Nations cultures". Both are "central to the National Gallery of Australia's vision as a national Australian institution that inspires creativity, inclusivity, engagement and learning".
Emily Kam Kngwarray celebrates the Gallery's gender equity initiative Know My Name on a global scale, which champions the work of women artists.
Tate Modern Director Karin Hindsbo said the gallery is "thrilled to be opening a major exhibition exploring the extraordinary life and legacy of Emily Kam Kngwarray and are hugely grateful to our colleagues at the National Gallery of Australia for collaborating with us to bring her remarkable work to European audiences on this scale for the first time".
"Tate Modern is committed to expanding and re-energising wider art history, presenting a truly global programme, so it is fitting that this exhibition should sit at the heart of our 25th year," she said.
"We hope that Kngwarray's captivating art and powerful storytelling will encourage visitors to see the world from a new perspective."
Wesfarmers Managing Director Rob Scott said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is "without question one of Australia's most significant contributions to world culture".
"It is an honour and a privilege to join with our longstanding partner, the National Gallery of Australia and Tate, to share these works with audiences in London, and reflect on the rich history and diversity of the cultural connections between institutions and countries," he said.
Emily Kam Kngwarray will be on display at Tate Modern from 10 July 2025 to 11 January 2026, presented in The Eyal Ofer Galleries.
The exhibition is in partnership with the National Gallery of Australia and Wesfarmers Arts, with further lead support from Fondation Opale, and additional support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
It is also supported by the Emily Kam Kngwarray Exhibition Supporters Circle, Tate International Council, Tate Patrons, Tate Americas Foundation, National Gallery of Australia Foundation and Tate Members. Research supported by Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational in partnership with Hyundai Motor.
The exhibition is curated by Kelli Cole, Director of Curatorial & Engagement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia project with Kimberley Moulton, Adjunct Curator, Indigenous Art, Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational; Charmaine Toh, Senior Curator, International Art, Tate Modern; Genevieve Barton, Assistant Curator, International Art, Tate Modern and Hannah Gorlizki, Exhibitions Assistant, Tate Modern.
The exhibition is accompanied by a major publication and an international program of talks, performances and educational initiatives designed to deepen public understanding of Kngwarray's art and her significance within both First Nations and global art histories.
EMILY: I AM KAM will premiere Wednesday, 9 Jul 8:30pm on NITV and SBS on demand. The powerful new documentary, directed by Danielle MacLean, delves into Emily Kam Kngwarray's transformative impact on the international contemporary art world and her enduring legacy.
Emily Kam Kngwarray, Emu Woman 1988-89, synthetic polymer paint. Holmes à Court Collection.
