Gallery 15 (Level 1)
This is a free drop-in event.
Bookings are not required, but capacity is limited.
Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Duration: 45 mins including Q&A
'The spear is our culture … we live by the spear. We are teaching our young people with spears to look after lore and culture. The spears can protect Country, like they have always been protecting Country for our grandfathers and our ancestors.'
Mumu Mike Williams
Join Adam Ford, Nyoongar (Menang/Goreng), Associate Curator, First Nations Art, for a talk in the exhibition Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa.
In this talk, Adam will speak about the Kulata Tjuta (Many Spears) Project, a cultural maintenance project that shares the skills of carving and making the punu kulata (wooden spear) across generations. Adam will focus on the ongoing cultural significance of the punu kulata for Aṉangu men from across the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.
Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa is the largest and most significant installation of the culturally important and visually spectacular Kulata Tjuta Project. Like others in the series, it is rooted in age-old traditions, knowledge and skills that are designed around keeping Country and culture strong.
Friday Art Talks is a free weekly program. Hear from artists, curators and experts on the works in our collection and exhibition program.
This talk is part of the National Gallery of Australia’s National Reconciliation Week program.
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa is on display in Gallery 15 until 29 Mar 2026.
Supported by
Wesfarmers Arts
You may also like the following events from National Gallery of Australia, Canberra:
- This Friday, 16th May, 10:30 am, Access Program for People Living with Dementia | Art with Friends in Canberra
- This Friday, 16th May, 12:00 pm, FREE | Friday Art Talks Amelia Brown on Yoko Ono, Jenny Holzer and Judy Chicago in Canberra
- This month, 30th May, 12:00 pm, FREE | Friday Art Talks How to Look at Art Through Culture with Maggie Douglas and Noah Watson in Canberra
Also check out other
Arts events in Canberra,
Exhibitions in Canberra,
Nonprofit events in Canberra.
