This summer, Coe Gallery presents a landmark exhibition celebrating the powerful legacy and vision of First Nations artists from Australia. The show features iconic works by Emily Kam Kngwarray, Gloria Petyarre, Minnie Pwerle and Barbara Weir, visionary artists whose practices are grounded in deep cultural knowledge and whose contributions have profoundly influenced the global landscape of contemporary art.
Building on the momentum of Coe Gallery’s acclaimed Barbara Weir and Cara Shields exhibition in November 2024, the upcoming Summer Exhibition (15 July until 7 August) deepens the gallery’s commitment to showcasing First Nations artists and amplifying intergenerational voices across cultures. It arrives at a moment of heightened international recognition – coinciding with the Tate Modern’s major solo retrospective of Emily Kam Kngwarray and other high-profile exhibitions in London, offering UK audiences an exceptional opportunity to experience the depth of these artists’ work in Bristol.
Ancestral authority
One of the most celebrated Indigenous artists of the 20th Century, Emily Kam Kngwarray (c.1910–1996) rose to prominence in the final decade of her life, creating an extraordinary body of work sharing her Anmatyerre cultural knowledge with energetic bold visual storytelling.
Her unique aesthetic has drawn comparisons to Western masters, yet her work remains deeply rooted in her spiritual connection to Alhalkere, her ancestral Country.
Pictured: Ernabella Artist, Tjulyata Kulyuru
Her niece, Gloria Petyarre (c.1945–2021), emerged as a trailblazer in her own right. Best known for her Bush Medicine Leaf paintings, Gloria’s work captures the rhythmic movement of healing leaves swept by the wind, an image both visceral and meditative. In 1999, she became the first Indigenous Australian woman to win the prestigious Wynne Prize, affirming her place as a leading figure in contemporary Aboriginal art.
Minnie Pwerle (c.1922–2006), mother of Barbara Weir, began painting later in life and rapidly gained acclaim for her highly expressive works. Her energetic brushstrokes and vivid palette evoke the ceremonial body paint designs of Awelye (women’s ceremonies) and the bush foods of her Country. Her work embodies both ancestral authority and creative freedom, making her one of the most sought-after Indigenous artists of the early 21st Century.
Ernabella artists
Alongside this, Coe Gallery is honoured to present the UK debut of established artists from Ernabella Arts, Australia’s oldest continuously operating Indigenous art centre. Founded in 1948 in Pukatja, a remote community at the eastern end of the Musgrave Ranges in the far north-west of South Australia, Ernabella Arts has evolved from its origins as a mission craft room into a culturally strong, artist-led centre for contemporary practice.
Initially known for hand-loomed textiles and knotted rugs, distinctive works that became known as Anapalayaku Walka, the centre gained international acclaim for its intricate batik silks from the 1970s through the early 2000s.
In recent decades, Ernabella artists have boldly expanded into ceramics, painting and multimedia, with senior women turning their focus to the expression of Tjukurpa (sacred stories of Country and Culture). Today, Ernabella Arts is celebrated for its innovation, adaptability, and intergenerational strength. An Indigenous-owned and operated organisation, it upholds ethical practices in the creation and sale of First Nations art, and has built a respected international reputation, exhibiting at leading commercial galleries internationally in Paris, Berlin, and beyond.
Images: artist Michelle Lewis of Ernabella Arts; and Cassyanne Woods, Minyma Kutjara
“We are proud to introduce these powerful voices to our UK audience for the first time,” says Jasmine Coe, the Wiradjuri-British curator and artist behind Coe Gallery. “Alongside these, works by Coe Gallery’s resident artists offer a complementary perspective, creating a dialogue between contemporary practice and enduring cultural traditions.”
“With its bold storytelling, rhythmic movement, and deep-rooted sense of place, the Summer Exhibition 2025 is both a celebration of the diversity of Aboriginal nations and a timely reflection on the significance of these remarkable artists and their ongoing influence across generations and continents.”
Participating in the Summer Exhibition are Utopian Artists Emily Kam Kngwarray (who will also have work shown in the Tate Modern solo exhibition Emily Kam Kngwarray, opening early July), Gloria Petyarre, Minnie Pwerle and Barbara Weir; Ernabella Artists Cassyanne Woods, Daisybell Kulyuru, Michelle Lewis, Tjulkiwa Atira Atira, Tjulyata Kulyuru and Jeffrey Lewis (none of which have exhibited in UK before); and Coe Gallery resident artists Ethan-James Kotiau, Hannah Lange, Jasmine Coe and Rebekah Nyalkba.
Coe Gallery’s Summer Exhibition is free entry, and is on from 15 July until 7 August at The Vestibules, City Hall, Park Street, BS1 5TR (weekdays 10am-6pm) | coegallery.com
Images: Ethan James Kotiau Maranoa River; Hannah Lange, Journey Through Country; Gloria Petyarre, Bush Medicine Dreaming
