Sunday, 17 August 2008
5.00pm

This week on Sunday Arts, Virginia Trioli visits the opening of the magnificent Emily Kame Kngwarreye exhibition in Tokyo; Fenella Kernebone takes a look at Australian children's books; and Virginia also speaks to Graeme Blundell.

Virginia Trioli takes a look at Utopia: The genius of Emily Kame Kngwarreye. The feature was filmed on location at the National Arts Centre in Tokyo in May. As well as speaking to very excited Japanese visitors at the exhibition, Virginia talks to curator Margo Neale, collector and arts patron Janet Holmes à Court and Professor Akira Tatehata, head of the National Museum of Art in Osaka and the driving force behind the exhibition. The exhibition is comprised of 120 of Emily's paintings from over 60 collections, and includes what is believed to be her first painting on canvas, Emu Woman. Australians can see the exhibition for themselves at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra from August 22.

Australia has a strong tradition of producing quality children's novels and many of these imaginative tales have become part of the national psyche. Everyone has their own favourites, from the classics such as Mem Fox's Possum Magic, May Gibbs' Snuggle Pot and Cuddle Pie to more recent publications by authors such as Paul Jennings, John Marsden, Danny Katz and Sonya Hartnett. This week we talk to award-winning author Danny Katz, whose name you probably recognise from the witty and somewhat cynical articles that he publishes in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The West Australian newspapers. But, as Fenella discovers this week, he is also very popular among a much younger demographic - children between the ages of six and nine.

Graeme Blundell is a versatile character in the Australian entertainment scene. He started out as an actor in Melbourne's fringe theatre, performing in some key institutions in the 60s like La Mama and The Pram Factory. Blundell's primary focus has remained on theatre for decades having directed and acted in about 100 plays. He has also appeared in film, including the 1976 film adaptation of Williamson's play Don's Party, and in numerous television programs including The Hollowmen. Blundell is the author of King: The Life and Comedy of Graham Kennedy, a book that has sold more than 45,000 copies. He is now releasing a book about his own life, The Naked Truth.

Sunday Arts will be repeated on ABC2 - Sunday August 17 at 7:30pm