TOO DEADLY: TARNANTHI CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF FIRST NATIONS EXCELLENCE
BY ASAD KHAN
Tarnanthi, Australia’s leading festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, will mark its tenth anniversary in 2025 with Too Deadly, a major retrospective at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA).
Opening 17 October, Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi will feature over 200 works acquired through the festival’s history.
Artistic Director Nici Cumpston OAM Image: Saul Steed
Curated by Artistic Director Nici Cumpston OAM, the exhibition highlights the creativity and resilience of over 9,000 First Nations artists who have contributed to Tarnanthi since 2015.
“It’s not that there isn’t enough art, it’s that there aren’t enough opportunities,” she said.
“Tarnanthi allows artists to think big, dream big and showcase their work on a national stage.”
Highlights include Kuḻaṯa Tjuṯa (Many Spears), a response to atomic testing on APY Lands and Kungka Kunpu (Strong Women), featuring senior Anangu women artists.
Works by Vincent Namatjira, Kaylene Whiskey, Nyaparu (William) Gardiner and others will also be on show.
The in-person Tarnanthi Art Fair will return to a new city venue, offering visitors the opportunity to purchase ethically sourced works directly from the artists.
Tarnanthi Art Fair Image: Sia Duff
The festival also features exhibitions at 25 partner venues statewide and regional touring shows, such as Woven Within Stars, developed through Tarnanthi’s regional program with Country Arts SA.
Now based in the US as Director of the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum, Ms Cumpston hopes to continue showcasing Indigenous Australian art internationally.
“It’s a way for me to introduce artists who they may not have worked with before.”
Tarnanthi has attracted over 2.2 million visitors and generated $126.5 million in economic impact since its inception.
Too Deadly runs from 17 October 2025 to 18 January 2026, followed by a national tour through to 2028.
Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Asad Khan speak with the Artistic Director, Nici Cumpston OAM