I am so excited to say that my guest on the GWA Podcast is the esteemed curator Kelli Cole to discuss the trailblazing Australian artist, Emily Kam Kngwarray!

This is a very special BONUS episode and [as a one-off format] an exhibition walkthrough of Kngwarray's show at TATE MODERN. This is the first large-scale presentation of Kngwarray’s work ever held in Europe and a celebration of her extraordinary career as one of Australia’s greatest artists.

Born in 1914, from the Alhalker Country in the Northern Territory, Kngwarray made thousands of works, reflecting her life as an Anmatyerr woman, but was – extraordinarily – only in her late 70s when she began painting in earnest, creating for ceremonial purposes and designs on the bodies of women.

Listen to us explore the exhibition: witnessing first hand some of the most dazzling paintings I’ve ever seen.

So whether you’ll listen to this ahead of your visit, or be virtually transported here (for those who can’t be here in person), I hope we can bring the magic of her paintings alive for you.

About our guest:

A Warumungu and Luritja woman from Central Australia, Kelli Cole is the Director of Curatorial & Engagement for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia project in Alice Springs.

Previously, she held the position of Curator of Special Projects in the First Nations portfolio at the National Gallery of Australia, and has contributed to numerous publications, both nationally and internationally, on various aspects of First Nations art. In 2022, she worked closely with another esteemed curator, Hetti Perkins, as part of the team for the 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial: Ceremony.

But the reason why we are speaking with Cole today is because she is the lead curator of a very exciting new exhibition here at London’s Tate Modern: Emily Kam Kngwarray!

Link to show – to see the works:

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/emily-kam-kngwarray

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THIS EPISODE IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE LEVETT COLLECTION:

https://www.famm.com/en/

https://www.instagram.com/famm_mougins // https://www.merrellpublishers.com/9781858947037

Follow us:

Katy Hessel: @thegreatwomenartists / @katy.hessel

Sound editing by Nada Smiljanic

Music by Ben Wetherfield