Evolution at Gallery Lane Cove: Founders of the Indigenous Art Movement on Show This July

This July, Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios is giving locals a rare opportunity to view works by some of the most significant names in Indigenous Australian art, right here in Lane Cove.

Evolution: Founders of the Indigenous Art Movement runs from 1 to 25 July 2026 and brings together paintings of remarkable depth, colour and cultural significance. Curated by Brenda Colahan as part of Gallery Lane Cove’s Guest Curator Program, the exhibition traces contemporary Indigenous Australian art through works by artists who helped shape its expression.

For Lane Cove audiences, this is a special chance to see works of this calibre gathered in one room without needing to travel across Sydney.

The Artists

According to Gallery Lane Cove, the exhibition features works by Albert Namatjira, Emily Kngwarreye, Otto Pareroultja, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Naata Nungurrayi, George Tjungurrayi, Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Barbara Weir, Nyurapayia Nampitjinpa (Mrs Bennett), Jorna Newberry, Tommy Watson, Eileen, Makinti and Charlie Tjapangati.

Here is a closer look at four of the key artists featured in the exhibition.

Yannima Pikarli Tommy Watson

Yannima Pikarli Tommy Watson was a senior Pitjantjatjara elder and Law man of the Karima skin group. He was born around 1935 in Anumarapiti, west of Irrunytju in Western Australia.

As a child, Watson lived a traditional life in the Gibson Desert, where he developed an intimate knowledge of Country and his Tjukurrpa, or ancestral stories. As an adult, he travelled to Hermannsburg, where he saw Albert Namatjira paint his famous watercolours, and later to Papunya, where the Western Desert Art movement was taking shape.

Watson did not begin painting until his 60s, starting in 2001, and became one of the artists who helped establish the Irrunytju Community Art Centre. He is internationally recognised as one of the most significant Aboriginal artists of his time. He passed away in November 2017, surrounded by family.

Emily Kame Kngwarreye

Emily Kame Kngwarreye was born around 1910 at Alkahere, also known as Soakage Bore, in the Northern Territory. A senior Eastern Anmatyerre artist from Utopia, she is regarded as one of Australia’s most important women artists.

Emily began working with acrylic paint after earlier involvement in silk batik. The shift allowed her greater creative freedom, and her paintings often reflect the layered transparency and movement of batik through overlapping touches of colour.

Her work is grounded in the traditions, spirituality and Country of her people. She famously described the breadth of what she painted as a “whole lot”, bringing together Tjukurrpa, land, ceremony and culture through a powerful contemporary visual language.

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa

Ronnie Tjampitjinpa was born at Muyinnga, about 100 kilometres west of the Kintore Range near the Western Australian border. He was one of the youngest members of the group of men who began painting at the start of the Western Desert Art movement in 1971 and was a founder of Papunya Tula Artists.

After settling at Walungurru, also known as Kintore, in 1981, Ronnie became known for his bold, linear style. His early works depicted iconography from the Tingari Cycles, while his vibrant Fire Tjukurrpa paintings are among some of the most recognisable works connected to the movement.

Barbara Weir

Barbara Weir was born in the Utopia region northeast of Alice Springs and is the daughter of renowned artist Minnie Pwerle.

At around age 10, Barbara was taken from her family by a welfare patrol, making her part of the Stolen Generations. After returning home in 1977, she rekindled her close relationship with Emily Kame Kngwarreye.

Following Emily’s death in 1996, Barbara developed her own contemporary style, known for its strong colour palette. Her Grass Seed and Mother’s Country paintings have attracted significant attention from collectors in Australia and overseas.

Why This Exhibition Is Worth Seeing

Evolution: Founders of the Indigenous Art Movement brings together artists whose works have had a profound impact on Australian art. The exhibition offers a chance to consider not only the visual power of the paintings, but also the cultural knowledge, Country, stories and histories that sit behind them.

It is also a reminder that significant exhibitions do not only happen in major city institutions. Sometimes they are right here in Lane Cove.

Catalogue

You can browse the full digital catalogue here.

Visit

Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studios
164 Longueville Road, Lane Cove NSW 2066
Phone: 02 9428 4898
Website: www.gallerylanecove.com.au

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 10am to 4.30pm
Saturday: 10am to 2.30pm
Closed Sundays, Mondays and public holidays.

Gallery Lane Cove is a Lane Cove Council facility managed by Centrehouse Inc. The gallery acknowledges the Cameraygal people as traditional owners and sovereign custodians of the land on which it is situated, and extends its respects to all First Nations people.