MAPI, Coo-ee Art Gallery and the Embassy of Australia present the exhibition “Dreamtime: Indigenous art from Australia”, which brings together paintings, textiles, bark paintings (painting on eucalyptus bark), sculptures and lithographs by contemporary artists, highlighting the work of Emily Kame Kngwarray (1910-1996), whose works were presented at the Venice Biennale. This exhibition arrives in Uruguay for the first time after a tour of nine cities in Brazil.

The pieces were made with diverse techniques such as painting, sculpture, lithography and bark paintings (painting on eucalyptus bark), typical of Australia’s tropical north and one of the oldest artistic expressions in the world, dating back 40,000 years. These works make up the collection of Coo-ee Art Gallery, the oldest and most respected Indigenous art gallery in Oceania.
“This collection is a gift for Uruguayans. From a collection of more than 2,000 pieces, we selected the most significant ones. The works of the artists taking part in this exhibition have already been published in numerous art catalogues, cited in doctoral texts, and have taken part in numerous exhibitions in Australia and internationally in Europe and North America,” says the Brazilian Clay D´Paula, who curates the exhibition together with the Australians Adrian Newstead and Djon Mundine.
“Dreamtime”

Artists paint their dreams, but not with the Jungian idea of dreaming associated with the unconscious. For them, painting, or their “dreaming”, is retelling stories that are eternal, to keep them alive and pass them on to future generations. These paintings contain vital information, such as where to find permanent “living water”. Keeping that “dreaming” alive is the fundamental motivation for Indigenous Australian artists.

Bark paintings

The bark paintings stand out in this exhibition. They were once considered aesthetically poor, because they were not created to last, but to be used in ceremonies or as decoration. Today, however, they are exquisitely executed, are considered true works of art and form part of the collections of renowned museums, as well as private collections around the world.

Participating artists

The exhibition brings together Indigenous artists of great international importance, with a refined and luminous palette, such as the celebrated Rover Thomas (1926-1998), whose ochre-colored landscapes changed, with his vision, the perception of the Australian landscape.

The aesthetics developed by these artists resemble minimalism and expressionism. However, the works they create carry a unique visual language, since most Indigenous Australian artists had no contact with European art.

The star of the exhibition is Emily Kame Kngwarray (1910-1996), who began painting at the age of 79. Considered by critics one of the greatest expressionist painters of the 20th century, and although she never had access to any expression of Western art, she has been compared to Pollock and Monet. Emily became Australia’s most beloved artist, representing the country at the Venice Biennale and other international art events.

Indigenous art in Australia generates more than 200 million dollars a year, which allows more than 5,000 Indigenous artists in that country to make a living from this practice.

The exhibition in Montevideo is sponsored by the Uruguay-Australia Chamber, Hughes & Hughes, Deakin University and Orpheo Express Hotel.