Ngura Puḻka—Epic Country Opens at the National Gallery

Ngura Puḻka—Epic Country brings together 30 large-scale paintings by senior artists and collectives from the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Coober Pedy and Tarntanya/Adelaide, running at the National Gallery from 11 April to 23 August 2026. The exhibition celebrates Tjukurpa — Aṉangu law and cultural stories — rendered across vast canvases that range from explosive colour to restrained, muted palettes, each work an act of cultural transmission as much as artistic expression.

The project was originally scheduled to open in 2023 but was postponed following an independent review into the authorship of works. That review validated the artists’ authorship, and subsequent independent government reviews concluded in 2025 with no further action taken. Six new large-scale works, created in the intervening period, are presented alongside the original commission — a testament to the artists’ continued resolve.

Tina Baum (Gulumirrgin (Larrakia)/Wardaman/Karajarri peoples), Head Curator, First Nations Art at the National Gallery, describes the exhibition as an opportunity to experience the depth of artistic practice emerging from the Central Desert. “From the beginning of the APY art movement, these artists have embraced the opportunity to celebrate and share their stories through monumental works of art,” she says.

For the artists themselves, the work is rooted in relationship — to country, to culture, and to each other. Betty Chimney, a Yankunytjatjara artist whose collaborative practice with her daughter Raylene is represented in the exhibition, speaks to the intergenerational dimension of the project: “Making paintings together is very special… we are teaching the next generation about how important our culture is.”

Sandra Pumani, Yankunytjatjara artist and Chairperson of the APY Art Centre Collective, expressed quiet triumph at the opening. “Ngura Puḻka has been a long time coming, but we always knew we would get here because of the strength and resilience of our artists, our artworks, and our culture.”

National Gallery Director Dr Nick Mitzevich echoed the sentiment: “After a long journey, we invite everyone to visit the exhibition, to celebrate the work of these remarkable artists and witness the power of cultural storytelling through art.”

Ngura Puḻka—Epic Country is presented in partnership with APY Art Centre Collective, with the support of Tjala Arts, Mimili Maku Arts, Umoona Arts, Iwantja Arts, Kaltjiti Arts, Collective Art Centre Adelaide, and artists from Ernabella and Pipalyatjara. The exhibition is also accompanied by a selection of 13 works by APY artists drawn from the national collection.

Ngura Puḻka—Epic Country is on view at the National Gallery, Kamberri/Canberra, 11 April – 23 August 2026.

Image: APY Women’s Regional Collaborative, Ngura Puḻka – Epic Country 2022 © the artists / APY Art Centre Collective, image courtesy APY Art Centre Collective