Work by legendary Anmatyerr artist fetches $1m at New York auction

Each of Kngwarreye's paintings is a homage to her home of Alhalkere. Now, they're scattered in private and public collections across the globe.

Alhalkere – Old Man Emu with Babies by Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Source: Sothebys / NITV

This article uses the name and image of an Aboriginal Elder who has passed.

A New York auction of Aboriginal art has further cemented the unmatched legacy of artist Emily Kame Kngwarreye.

Kngwarreye created four of the ten pieces for sale at the second Sotheby’s Auction of Aboriginal art, with her work, Alhalkere – Old Man Emu with Babies, being the highest selling artwork at the event.

The piece, which was painted in 1989, sold for $US819,000 – translating to $A1.14million.

Bought by an American private collector, the piece is the second-highest paid price for a Kngwarreye work.

It follows her work Earth’s Creation I which she painted in 1994. It was sold at auction in Sydney for $2.1million.

The purchase saw Kngwarreye’s work set the record for the highest sale price for any Australian female artist.

Emily Kame Kngwarreye's 'Earth’s Creation I' in the Venice Biennale (2015). Source: Supplied/Cooee Art

Who was Emily Kame Kngwarreye?

Kngwarreye was born in 1910, at Alhalkere Utopia in the Northern Territory – 230 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs.

She picked up the paintbrush later in life, producing an estimated 3,000 paintings across her 8-year career. It’s believed she averaged a painting per day.

Both her identity as an Anmatyerre Elder and her Country inspired her work.

At 80-years-old she became an esteemed name in the art industry.

Emily Kame Kngwarreye Source: Delmore Gallery

The return of works by William Barak

The Sotheby’s auction set a record for the highest Aboriginal art auction in New York, with only two pieces bought by Australian private collectors.

Auctioned off alongside Kngwarreye’s works were two pieces by William Barak.

The pieces, an ochre drawing of women during ceremony and a parrying shield created by the significant 19^th Century Wurundjeri artist and Elder, were purchased by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.

The corporation sought the fund through crowdfunding and support from the Victorian Government, and was able to bring the pieces home to Country.

The drawing dates to 1897, and depicts a ceremonial dance. The shield was hand-carved by Barak and features ceremonial notching on both sides. Source: Supplied: Wurundjeri Corporation