Over 2500 spears are now on display at the National Gallery of Australia as part of Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa – the largest installation of the culturally significant Kulata Tjuta Project to date.
The National Gallery presents the most significant iteration of Kulata Tjuta (Many Spears) – an ongoing cultural maintenance project that shares the skills of carving and making the punu kulata (wooden spear) across generations in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.
On display in Kamberri/Canberra until 29 March 2026, Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa is the most ambitious iteration of the project since it began 15 years ago. Acquired into the national collection in 2024, this is the first time Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa will be displayed.
Taking its title from the Aṉangu word tirkilpa, referring to the rattling of spears before a battle or war commences, the installation will see thousands of spears suspended from the ceiling. Like others in the project series, this iteration abridges the voices of senior and younger artists to speak of cultural resilience, continuity, and identity.
In the words of project founder, the late Willy Kaika Burton (1941-2020): "We (Aṉangu) have a word for the rattle of the spears, that word is Tirkilpa. We have a technique where we roll spears over each other to make this noise. A long time ago this noise would be heard before a battle begins. Sometimes I hear the Tirkilpa today, it is a different battle today but the fight is real for us. Aṉangu are fighting for a chance at a better life and for a better future; we are fighting for our grandchildren."
Conceived by Mr Burton in 2010, the Kulata Tjuta Project is now made up of over 100 people across the APY Lands. The large-scale, multi-disciplinary installation at the National Gallery incorporates sound with a short audio recording by Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa lead Frank Young singing a Tjukurrpa (Dreaming) song titled Kulata Inma (Song of the Spear).
National Gallery of Australia Associate Curator, First Nations Art, Adam Ford, a Noongar Menang/Goreng man, said Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa "exemplifies how teaching younger generations Ancestral traditions, knowledge and skills can strengthen First Nations Community and culture".
"This project has been important in maintaining and sharing Aṉangu culture with others for over 15 years. The National Gallery is excited to present Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa and that this important work has now entered the national collection," he said.
Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa is free to visit and on display at the National Gallery in Kamberri/Canberra from 1 March 2025 to 29 March 2026.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Welcome to Country - Saturday 22 March, 2025, 10am, Main Entrance. Held by Paul Girrawah House, senior Ngambri, Walgalu, Wallaballooa, Ngunnawal, Pajong, Gundungurra and Wiradjuri (Erambie) traditional custodian.
Kulata Tjuta Inma, Ceremonial Performance. Saturday, 22 March, 2025, 11am Gallery 15 (Level 1). Witness the captivating Kulata Tjuta Inma performed by Aṉangu cultural leaders, practitioners and artists. Incorporating traditional ceremonial song, dance and storytelling, this performance marks the official opening of Kulata Tjuta: Tirkilpa.