The much anticipated exhibition Ngura Puḻka—Epic Country is now showing at Kamberri/Canberra’s National Gallery, featuring large-scale paintings by First Nations artists from the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.

Ngura Puḻka is the most ambitious artistic project to emerge from the Central Desert to date. Enter the exhibition, and you’ll be immediately struck by the scale of the 30 paintings on display, which dwarf the APY First Nations artists (from Coober Pedy and Tarntanya/Adelaide, South Australia) who created them. Of the 30 works, 29 are three-by-three metres, and the largest is three-by-five. ‘Epic stories, epic scale, epic Country,’ in the words of Tina Baum (Gulumirrgin (Larrakia)/Wardaman/Karajarri peoples), Head Curator, First Nations Art, National Gallery.

Together, these artworks depict expansive Country and celebrate the powerful Tjukurpa (Aṉangu law/cultural stories) that lie within, reinforcing the artists’ deep connection to culture and place. Senior women artists, as Community leaders, describe these major works as representing the ultimate freedom of cultural expression, exploration, and depiction of their Tjukurpa and Ngura.

Yankunytjatjara woman Betty Chimney is one of the exhibited artists, alongside her daughter Raylene. Betty says, translated, ‘It makes me so happy to work with my daughter. We are teaching the next generation about how important our culture is.’

Ngura Puḻka was scheduled to open in 2023 but was postponed for an independent review into the authorship of works. This review validated the authorship of the works, and further independent government reviews were completed in 2025, with no further action being taken.

Sandra Pumani, Yankunytjatjara artist and Chairperson of the APY Art Centre Collective, said, ‘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. We stand by these artworks together as one, and we are proud to share them with Australia.’

As a continuing Community project, the artists have created six new large-scale works since the originally scheduled 2023 show. Also presented alongside Ngura Puḻka is a selection of 13 works by APY artists drawn from the national collection.

Dr Nick Mitzevich, Director, National Gallery says, ‘Ngura Puḻka is one of the most ambitious First Nations community-driven art projects and the National Gallery is proud to stand by the artists and share it with our audience.

Tina adds, ‘I was very fortunate to have travelled across the APY Lands last year and to have heard first-hand the testimonies of artists who were committed to bringing this exhibition to life after much uncertainty. I hope audiences take away from the exhibition the cultural agency and authority of these artists, and of their unbroken and enduring connection to their Country, which they so powerfully depict.’

Ngura Puḻka—Epic Country is presented in partnership with APY Art Centre Collective with the support of Art Centres; Tjala Arts, Mimili Maku Arts, Umoona Arts, Iwantja Arts, Kaltjiti Arts, Collective Art Centre Adelaide, as well as artists from Ernabella and Pipalyatjara.

Ngura Puḻka – Epic Country
April 11 – August 23 2026
National Gallery of Australia
Level 1, Galleries 2–7
Free entry