13 min read
Australian Aboriginal Art in Contemporary Galleries: Context and Controversy
In 1971, Geoffrey Bardon encouraged Aboriginal men at Papunya to paint a school wall. The Papunya Tula cooperative became "Australia's first Aboriginal arts company." Emily Kam Kngwarray's retrospective is at Tate Modern until January 11, 2026. But the market is "fraught" with controversy: fakes, exploitation, and a $4.4m lawsuit.
