Utopia: the Genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye - The National Art Center, Tokyo

The galleries in The National Art Center, Tokyo are cavernous. The spaces are rectangular, interconnecting through occasional openings in the walls. In these all white, anonymous rooms, Emily Kame Kngwarreye (c.1910-1996) paintings are substantial. Even without a deep understanding of the cultural significance of the imagery, one cannot take in these works without feeling a sense of the profound. At a casual glance, the works appear similar to abstract explorations that are well known in the West and in some parts of Asia. But there is something more enlightened and informed about these paintings.

There are over 100 pieces in the exhibition. In her work, Emily uses the most basic visual elements - the line and the dot. Only in her last paintings does one start to see colors that are more blended and molded with the brush. There is a power and directness to every work. Never is there the slightest sense of hesitation in Emily’s hand.

Emily started painting on canvas in her late seventies. It is estimated that she completed as many as three thousand works in the eight years prior to her death.

“Utopia: the Genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye” is currently on display at The National Art Center, Tokyo ( 28 May to 28 July 2008). This show was first presented in Osaka at the National Museum of Art (26 February to13 April 2008).

works illustrated - all synthetic polymer paint on canvas
1. 124 x 116 cm
2. 151 x 90 cm
3. 171 x 140cm
4. 122 x 93cm

For more information on Emily Kame Kngwarreye from The National Gallery of Australia , click here

For more information on Australian Aboriginal art, click here