le blog

Posted by Lauren Evans

I flicked onto the ABC’s Sunday arts program yesterday to find the show was about an exhibition of the late aboriginal painter Emily Kame Kngwarreye that has just shown at the National Art Center, Tokyo (touring from the National Art Museum, Osaka). It was touching to hear curator Akira Tatehata, the head of Osaka’s National Museum of Art speak about her work. He refered to her as the ‘impossible modernist’ for although having no knowledge of art history her work displays ‘all the techniques honed by the Abstract Expressionists.’

“At the beginning I was just stunned, he says. I stood there absent-mindedly in front of the painting. But suddenly it was joy. It was such a strong feeling it was strange even to me but tears started falling. I thought, why am I crying? I didn’t know why I was crying. Perhaps I was so moved because I came in touch with something so beautiful.”

It was a fascinating program, as is Emily’s story – she didn’t take up painting until she was in her 70’s and has left behind an amazing legacy of work. It’s exciting to see Australian Aboriginal art being recognised and revered internationally. You can read the full transcript of the ABC interview here and there’s an interesting review of the exhibition by Frieze Magazine here.

Arlatyite Dreaming (Pencil Yam), 1995, Acrylic on linen, 61 x 91.5cm

Big Yam Dreaming, 1995, synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 291 x 801.8 cm