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International exhibition shines spotlight on works from collection

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City of Newcastle
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton standing in front of four works of art by artist Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern in London.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM pictured with the Awely series painted by Emily Kam Kngwarray, currently on display at Tate Modern, London. The three works from the Newcastle Art Gallery collection are shown positioned at top left, bottom left, and bottom right. Emily Kam Kngwarray, Anmatyerre, Awely (a–c), 1990. Newcastle Art Gallery, Australia, purchased 2010. © Emily Kam Kngwarreye/Copyright Agency

Newcastle Art Gallery has taken a significant First Nations series of work out of storage and onto the world stage as part of a major exhibition at a prestigious London institution.

While local art lovers are anticipating the return of the $145 million collection to the expanded Newcastle Art Gallery, London audiences are being given the chance to appreciate one of its treasures firsthand at the Tate Modern.

Awely 1990 is a series of paintings by Indigenous artist Emily Kam Kngwarray (c.1914-1996), who is internationally renowned as one of the most significant contemporary painters of the late 20th century.

The work is currently being featured at the London gallery as part of the first major exhibition held in Europe dedicated to the extraordinary talent of the late Anmatyerr elder.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said it was an honour to have Newcastle's collection represented in this landmark exhibition.

"Emily Kam Kngwarray was an incredibly important Australian artist, whose unique style enabled her to create powerful depictions of her cultural connections to her Country, Alhalker, located in the Sandover region of the Northern Territory," Ms Morton said.

"Newcastle Art Gallery is committed to celebrating and championing the work of First Nations artists as part of our vision to be locally grounded, nationally engaged and globally minded.

"We are proud to be the only public gallery from outside of an Australian capital city to be included in this important exhibition at the Tate Modern and can't wait until we can invite our community back into our expanded Art Gallery to see more of the significant First Nations works from our collection."

The Tate Modern exhibition was organised in collaboration with the National Gallery of Australia, bringing together more than 80 works from across Kngwarray's extraordinary career. It is the first time many of Kngwarray’s works, including the series from Newcastle Art Gallery, are being shown outside of Australia.

Learn more about the Emily Kam Kngwarray exhibition on show at the Tate Modern.

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