Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair

Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair celebrates a record-breaking year achieving $5.1M in sales for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres.

 

The 19th Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) has achieved a record breaking $5.1 million in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art sales, a milestone across the Fair’s 19-year history, with the
renowned event overall stimulating the Northern Territory economy by $14.99 million.

To date, 2025 marks DAAF’s highest sales record and continues a five-year running streak from 2021-2025 of clearing the $4 million mark for its participating Art Centres. Over the past ten years (2016-2025), DAAF
has generated over $34.2 million for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual art sector.

Presented by the DAAF Foundation, this year’s inspiring event returned as hybrid model in-person and online in August, hosting a total of 78 Art Centres who collectively presented 1,800 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, presenting over 12,000+ distinctive artworks for the public to purchase. True to its commitment to community empowerment, DAAF ensured 100-per-cent of all artwork sales revenue flowed directly back to the Art Centres and artists involved

This year’s attendance of 15,538 in-person and 13,130 virtual participants reflects the strong community engagement the Fair continues to foster both on-ground and online. Internationally established as the premier destination to celebrate Australian First Nations artistic expression and cultural , the Fair serves as a global platform where visitors can authentically engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and ethical purchasing practices, with Art Centres reporting that on average 6 per cent of sales were to international buyers, ranging to up to 35 per cent of their total sales.

 

 

The remarkable success of this year’s Fair demonstrates the continued strength and appeal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, both contemporary and traditional mediums, while providing crucial economic
pathways for remote and regional communities across Australia.

DAAF Foundation Executive Director, Claire Summers, said “This year you could feel the sense of community in the air – there was a joy that our First Nations creatives felt in coming together for this national
celebration of culture and art.

“Audiences also felt this energy and enjoyed immersing in the authentic opportunity to engage directly with First Nations artists and discover their rich cultural and artistic practices and storytelling. Their understand that their art purchases contribute in a genuine and meaningful way to supporting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.” “Alongside the Fair, we were proud to run a vibrant and immersive showcase of cultural exchange through our public program with artist masterclasses, workshops, and cultural performances, as well as the return of the Cultural Keepers Program,” Summers added. Barkly Regional Arts was among the 78 participating Art Centres at DAAF, breaking a personal record with $104,000 in combined online and in-person sales. Representing over fifty Aboriginal artists from five remote communities across the Barkly region in the Northern Territory, the collective is celebrated for contemporary works that preserve and celebrate ancient cultures and languages through art. Among them was young mother and emerging artist, Suesella Foster from Epenarra, whose distinctive works on metal were
particularly sought after for their unique depiction of Country.