Awelye: The Legacy of Utopia
The ground breaking Eastern Anmatyerre artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye (1910-1996), described as “Australia’s most famous artist”, is the first Australian artist to be accorded a solo retrospective at London’s Tate Modern. Her work also fostered ongoing generations of women painters of Utopia.
One of Kngwarreye’s main subjects was Awelye. Often translated as ‘womens ceremony’, “Awelye” is far richer – encompassing song, ceremony, storytelling, education, entertainment, maintenance of Country and artistic expression.