Clem Newchurch, Department for Infrastructure and Transport
Image: Clem Newchurch, Everything You Need to Catch and Cook a Feed!, 2026. Photo: Sam Roberts.
Clem Newchurch
Everything You Need to Catch and Cook a Feed!, 2026
Hand woven natural fibre, carved wood and natural materials
Commissioner: Multiplex on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure and Transport
Location: Central Market Tower, Adelaide
In this work, Kaurna, Narungga and Kokatha artist Clem Newchurch presents Everything You Need to Catch and Cook a Feed!, a collection of traditional tools and objects that explore cultural knowledge, traditional making practices and the enduring relationship between Aboriginal people and Country.
The work forms part of a series of commissions bringing First Nations artists and their stories into the built environment. Through these commissions, cultural knowledge and perspectives are shared with the people who experience the space. Newchurch’s work celebrates the ingenuity of traditional tools and the knowledge passed down through generations.
Facilitated by Guildhouse, the commission supports Newchurch to share his cultural knowledge and artistic practice in a contemporary public setting, creating an opportunity for traditional making practices to be experienced by a wider audience.
Artwork Story:
Everything You Need to Catch and Cook a Feed! brings together traditional tools and objects made from natural fibres, wood and other natural materials. The work reflects Newchurch’s ongoing journey of learning how his Ancestors lived sustainably with Country for millennia, developing sophisticated ways to catch and prepare food, make fire and use the resources available in their environment.
At the centre of the collection is Munta, a large woven net also known as a Kardi Munta or Emu Net. Made from natural fibres, the net demonstrates the skill and knowledge involved in weaving functional objects from materials gathered on Country.
The collection also includes Wirnta/Yirdi Ngari, traditional spears used for hunting and fishing. Their construction reflects detailed knowledge of materials, animal behaviour and the techniques needed to catch food. Features such as a snare knot and a multiple barbed tip demonstrate the specialised skills used to develop tools suited to different purposes.
Wadna, a hunting boomerang, represents another traditional hunting tool, shaped for practical use and informed by generations of knowledge about the environment and the animals that inhabit it.
The carved objects include Wirri/Tjuding, traditional tools associated with practical activities on Country. Alongside these are Wiini Yuku, a bowl used for holding and preparing food, and other objects that demonstrate how natural materials can be shaped into useful everyday items.
Fire making is represented through Kardla Purtultu/Kuru, tools associated with creating fire, as well as Kardlayirdi, a multifunctional fire tool. These objects reflect the importance of fire in Aboriginal cultural practice, including its use for warmth, cooking and lighting. Newchurch’s learning in this area has also been informed by knowledge shared by cultural practitioners, including the skills and responsibilities involved in caring for cultural fire.
The collection includes Katha/Kaya, which demonstrate the use of natural materials in making and supporting traditional tools. Elements such as grass tree components highlight the careful selection of materials from Country and the knowledge required to prepare them for use.
Finally, Birra/Warana, shells used in a range of practical ways, demonstrate how resources gathered from waterways and coastal environments can be used to carry water, hold food or serve as a bowl or plate. Their inclusion reflects the close relationship between people, waterways and the natural materials that sustain life.
Newchurch’s process has been shaped by learning from Elders, family, historical sources and Country itself. His exploration of string making and net weaving began through conversations with his Uncle Lyle and continued through knowledge shared by Uncle Peter on Narungga Country. This learning has helped deepen his understanding of the skills, materials and cultural knowledge embedded in traditional tools.
Together, the objects represent an interconnected system of knowledge. From hunting and fishing to food preparation, fire making and carrying resources, each item reflects a particular skill while contributing to a broader understanding of living with Country. Through weaving, carving and experimentation with natural materials, Newchurch celebrates the continuity of cultural knowledge and the importance of learning and sharing these practices with future generations.
Artist Biography:
Clem Newchurch is a Kaurna, Narungga and Kokatha artist and cultural practitioner whose work explores traditional tools, natural materials and cultural knowledge. His practice is grounded in an ongoing process of learning from Country, Elders and family, with a focus on continuing and sharing traditional making practices.
Through weaving, string making and carving, Newchurch recreates tools and objects that reflect the knowledge systems of his Ancestors. His work has featured in exhibitions including Kaurna: Still Here, a joint exhibition with Peter Turner presented at the South Australian Museum and subsequently toured to other venues across the Adelaide region.
Clem has also written and directed two short documentaries, Big Al’s Big Dream and The Butterfish Mob, included in NITV’s Our Stories documentary series. His practice continues to explore the relationship between cultural knowledge, the natural environment and the sharing of skills across generations.
Guildhouse Professional Services
Guildhouse Professional Services (GPS) is a South Australian leading public art consultancy, delivering end-to-end services for major public and commercial projects.
Established as Guildhouse’s social enterprise, GPS combines contemporary public art expertise with the governance strength of Guildhouse, the state’s peak visual arts body with over 60 years’ experience and membership base of over 1,200 artists, designers and craft practitioners.