In anticipation of Tate Modern’s newest exhibition presenting the art of Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c. 1910-1996), SmithDavidson Gallery is thrilled to present Tjukurrpa: The Dreaming, a landmark exhibition in collaboration with Unit London.
Tjukurrpa: The Dreaming is a major exhibition celebrating the extraordinary work of Emily Kame Kngwarreye, one of the most acclaimed First Nations artists of the 20th century.
Spanning the remarkable breadth of Emily artistic vision, the exhibition features key highlights, such as a rare painting from her legendary Last Series. Other masterpieces are Emu Dreaming (1989), a prime example of her first year of painting, and the monumental three-meter Wild Yam Dreaming in black and white The exhibition culminates in the epic Emily’s Story, a five and-a-half-
meter canvas that stands as a triumphant testament to Kngwarraye’s profound legacy and her unparalleled contribution to contemporary art.
Alongside Kngwarreye, the exhibition features prominent figures from the East Kimberly Art Movement and Western Desert Movement, including Rover Thomas Joolama, Paddy Nyunkuny Bedford, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrla, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, Makinti Napanangka, Tommy Watson and Patrick Olodoodi Tjungurrayi.
For Indigenous Australian and First Nation peoples, Tjukurrpa or the Dreaming represents the timeless creation stories of ancestral spirits that inform, shape, and sustain their community’s way of life. Passed on through stories, art, ceremony, and song, the Dreaming is a vibrant reality deeply connected to specific places and central to identity, with individuals and cultural groups as custodians of particular Dreamings who guide their spiritual practices and relationships. In this exhibition, the Dreaming is the central theme that unites all artists and their works, shaping both their vision and creative expression.
With Tjukurrpa: The Dreaming, SmithDavidson Gallery and Unit London invite viewers to immerse themselves in Australian First Nations Art, one of the oldest continuous painting traditions in the world.
