Two years after the death of pioneering Aboriginal art dealer Tim Klingender in a boating accident, his widow Skye McCardle-Klingender is organizing a multi-owner auction at Sotheby’s New York on 20 May. The sale includes 65 lots from Klingender's personal collection and other owners, featuring works by leading Aboriginal artists such as Emily Kam Kngwarray, Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, Rover Thomas, Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, and Richard Bell. McCardle-Klingender is working with former National Gallery of Australia curator Wally Caruana to assemble the auction, which aims to continue Klingender's legacy of elevating Indigenous Australian art on the global stage.
This auction matters because it represents a continuation of Klingender's three-decade effort to build an international market for Aboriginal art, which he pioneered through Sotheby's since 1997. The sale also highlights ongoing ethical concerns in the Aboriginal art trade, as Klingender was known for his commitment to community-run art centres that protect artists from exploitative dealers. By featuring works from both historical and contemporary Indigenous artists, the auction reinforces the growing recognition of Aboriginal art as a major force in the global art market, with pieces by Kam Kngwarray expected to fetch up to $700,000.