In Kulama Pukumani 2010, Tiwi artist Margaret Renee Kerinauia represents elements of the Kulama (initiation or yam) and Pukumani (funeral) ceremonies. In Tiwi tradition, the Kulama initiation ceremony for young men coincides with the harvesting of certain wild yams. Across three days and nights, participants engage in ritual body painting, singing and dancing, and feast on yams.

Meaning ‘taboo’, Pukumani refers to the funerary practices that the Tiwi’s apical ancestor, Purukaparli, gave to them. According to the ritual, the bones of the dead are honoured by being placed into carved and painted mortuary poles. The Pukumani ceremony takes place two to six months after burial and ensures that the spirit of the deceased will find its way to the spirit world, where it will rest forever.