
Emily Kam Kngwarray Indigenous Australian (Anmatyerr), 1910-1996
39.4 x 32.7 inch
AGOD #4346 Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings
This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
The people of Utopia are successfully maintaining a traditional lifestyle which today includes earning a living from painting. First Nations paintings are based on myths of the Dreamtime. In modern dot representations the sacred aspect of the story is often not revealed however the meaning remains transmitted through symbols which are easily understood.
This painting depicts body paint designs that the women apply to their upper torso for ceremony/
coroboree. “Awelye” (dancing) in the old days used part colored ochres but Emily has adapted acrylic paint
on to canvas to depict important ceremonial occasion.
Please note that all Aboriginal Art is created from a so called ‘Birds Eye’ view. This means that the paintings can be hung
either horizontally as well as vertically.
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist and family in Utopia in 1995
The Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings, Melbourne, Australia
Private collection, Baambrugge, The Netherlands
Private collection, The Netherlands
Exhibitions
The Armory Show, SmithDavidson Gallery, New York, USA, September 2024Art Cologne, SmithDavidson Gallery, Cologne, Germany, November 2023