A major solo exhibition of works by renowned Aboriginal Australian artist Emily Kam Kngwarray has opened at one of London’s most esteemed galleries, the Tate Modern. 

The exhibition, the first of its kind in Europe, is showcasing more than 70 of Kngwarray’s paintings and batiks almost three decades after her death.

“We’ve collaborated with the community of the Sandover region, so Emily Kam Kngwarray’s family members, a lot of work has got into it, selecting these beautiful paintings,” lead curator Kelli Cole said.

“She’s had quite a few solo exhibitions in Australia, and then also in Japan, but this is the first European exhibition.”

Many of the pieces in the exhibition were transported to the UK all the way from Australia.

“Sometimes the logistics complexity dazzles me – but they all arrived safely and carefully to be presented to the UK public which is a joy,” Tate Modern director Maria Balshaw said.

“We want to broaden people’s understanding of art, we also want to be presenting to them work that we think is genuinely extraordinary,” she added.

The exhibition has been five years in the making, and Tate Modern is anticipating more than 200,000 visitors during its six-month run.

“I’m an Aboriginal woman from central Australia,” Cole said.

“For us right now, having the Kngwarray exhibition shows that we are strong, we are a living culture and that we are very proud people.”