Tarnanthi is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture, with an extensive program of exhibitions, projects and events, reaching audiences in South Australia as well as nationally and internationally. The Tarnanthi exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) closed on July 21, 2024 and is now on tour with a regional and interstate program.
Tarnanthi (pronounced tar-nan-dee) is a term from the language of the traditional owners of the Adelaide Plains, the Kaurna people and means 'to come forth or appear--like the sun and the first emergence of light'.
The AGSA describes the event as follows:
"Tarnanthi is a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across the country to share important stories through artistic excellence, illuminating the diversity and depth of art and culture in communities nationwide. It encourages new beginnings by providing artists with opportunities to create significant new work and to extend their practice.
"Tarnanthi presents exhibitions at AGSA and on tour, an annual art fair, artist talks, performances, workshops and a groundbreaking education program. A major highlight is the Tarnanthi Festival, held every two years in Adelaide and across South Australia. Since beginning as a one-off event in 2015, Tarnanthi has developed from delivering acclaimed annual exhibitions in Adelaide into a continuous celebration of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, reaching national and international audiences."
Source: https://www.agsa.sa.gov.au/whats-on/tarnanthi/
As in the cross-culture metaphor of the rising sun, Tarnanthi heralds new beginnings and new ideas with an exhibition of outstanding works from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia, many of whom are highly respected community members, elders and cultural leaders as well as emerging artists, with a lifetime of cultural knowledge passed on to them as well as through their own listening participation and guidance from their elders.
The included images are just some of the highlights from this year's exhibition.
'My mum told me when I grow up I gotta tell my story.
Atha yia nukanha ilama.' Judith Pungarta Inkamala
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