Pwerle Gallery, one of a small number of privately Aboriginal-owned galleries in Australia, has celebrated their 10-year anniversary with the opening of landmark exhibition Our Country in Adelaide; bringing together for the first time the works of two of Australia's most influential Anmatyerre artists: Emily Kame Kngwarreye and her brother Kudditji Kngwarreye.
Running from 23 November 2025 to 11 January 2026, the exhibition honours the deep cultural responsibility, kinship and lore that shaped both artists' practises. Although Emily and Kudditji rose to global acclaim as individuals, their stories have always been intertwined, held together through ceremony, ancestral knowledge and their unbroken connection to their country Alhalkere Country in the Utopia region.
On Sunday the opening night began with a Welcome to Country by Petiola Wilson, a Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna, Narungga and Tongan man, followed by a live performance from Seraphim Trio, one of Australia's leading chamber ensembles. Guests enjoyed food and wine curated by First Nations businesses Something Wild and Munda, demonstrating Pwerle Gallery's commitment to cultural integrity and community.
The director of Pwerle Gallery is Jade Akamarre Torres, a Alyawarre and Anmatyerre artist who represents the fourth generation of painters in her family.
"My middle name is Emily, after my great-great aunty Emily Kame Kngwarreye. She and my father Fred Torres had a very special bond," she said.
This exhibition is supported by more than 40 years of combined industry knowledge carried through DACOU and Pwerle Gallery. Founded by Jade's father Fred, DACOU played a pivotal role in facilitating the creation and international recognition of the majority of Emily's works, including Earth's Creation and the Final Series. While DACOU no longer exists, its legacy continues through Pwerle Gallery. This exhibition is a journey through time that could only be brought together and honoured appropriately in a collection by the descendants who were raised in their shadows and who feel the weight of continuing their legacy.
Presented by family, Our Country restores the connection between Emily and Kudditji's works, placing them side by side. This exhibition presents a unique opportunity to see the journey of their works over a lifetime, including pieces from the private family collection that have never been seen by the public. Among them are Emily's first works all the way through to her Final series which were completed in the final week before her passing. This was facilitated by Fred in a DACOU workshop in Utopia.
Also on display is a rare one of two collaborative artwork by Emily Kame Kngwarreye and Green Purvis Petyarre (Emily's eldest nephew). Archival footage played throughout the gallery, offering a window into decades of Emily's career alongside rare family home videos.
"This exhibition reminds us why cultural custodianship matters," said Ms Torres. "Family must remain at the centre of telling these stories."
Audiences are invited to see Our Country not as static landscapes but as living stories. Emily's explosive gestural fields and Kudditji's emotive colour blocks are expressions of the same ancestral knowledge moving through two bodies, two roles, and one Country. This reunion is unprecedented and unlikely to ever be replicated again.
Event Details
Exhibition: Our Country - Where Cultural Authority Lives. Where Family Carries Truth.
Venue: Pwerle Gallery, South Australia
Dates: 23 November 2025 - 11 January 2026 (By appointment)
More information is available online.
