EMILY KAM KNGWARRAY

From 14 June to 8 November 2026, Fondation Opale presents a monographic exhibition dedicated to one of the most significant figures of 20th-century contemporary art: Anmatyerr artist Emily Kam Kngwarray (1914–1996). Previously shown at Tate Modern in London last summer, the exhibition brings together more than 80 works and constitutes the most comprehensive retrospective devoted to the artist in Europe.

Born in the Sandover region of Australia’s Northern Territory, Emily Kam Kngwarray began painting at the age of 70. She first encountered batik in the late 1970s within the Utopia community, before turning to acrylic painting on canvas in the late 1980s. At the heart of her work lies Alhalker, her Country: a living entity, inseparable from those who inhabit it, to which she is deeply and intimately connected.

Between 1988 and 1996, during an eight-year period of creation that was as brief as it was exceptionally prolific, Emily Kam Kngwarray produced more than 3,000 works. In just a few years, she developed a pictorial language of remarkable richness.

Bringing together works from more than 25 lenders, including numerous Australian institutions, the exhibition highlights both the depth of her artistic journey and the evolution of her practice. It has been developed in dialogue with the Utopia community and is presented in partnership with Tate Modern and the National Gallery of Australia. The project is jointly curated by Kelli Cole, an independent curator of Warumungu and Luritja descent, and Bérengère Primat, whose collection includes around thirty works featured in the exhibition.