Australian First Nations art has taken centre stage globally, with landmark exhibitions,
record-breaking sales, and institutional recognition challenging historical marginalisation
and reshaping the international art market. Renowned for its dynamic contemporary and
Indigenous art scenes, Australia is experiencing a pivotal cultural moment, one marked by
growing global momentum and visibility for its First Nations artists.
A landmark turning point came in 2024 when Kamilaroi and Bigambul artist Archie Moore
won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation at the Venice Biennale. His acclaimed
installation, kith and kin, transformed the Australia Pavilion into a monumental 65,000-year
genealogical map, rendered in chalk across walls and ceilings. At its centre, a reflective moat
filled with archival state records highlighted both the depth of Moore’s research and the
high rates of incarceration of First Nations people. The work was jointly acquired by the
Australian Government for the Queensland Art Gallery and Tate, cementing its legacy across
hemispheres.
International momentum keeps building. In October 2025, the National Gallery of Victoria
and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. will launch The Stars We Do Not See, the
most extensive survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever mounted overseas.
Featuring over 200 works, it underscores a growing international appetite not only for
aesthetic engagement but for cultural and historical understanding.
This reignition follows a more turbulent chapter in the market’s history. The early 2000s saw
a dramatic rise in prices and global demand, particularly for works from the Western Desert,
but the surge proved unsustainable. Too much speculation and not enough regulation
caused the market to overheat, and when the 2008 financial crisis hit, trust in it collapsed.
Exploitation, oversupply, and uneven standards all contributed to a breakdown that left
both artists and collectors cautious. In response, Australia introduced a series of reforms to
restore integrity and trust. These included new guidelines to promote ethical trading
practices and a resale royalty scheme ensuring artists benefited when their works were sold
again. While not adopted across the board, they played an important role in lifting
standards. A key breakthrough came in 2019, when changes to export rules made it easier
for contemporary Indigenous art to circulate internationally, removing a major barrier that
had previously held the market back.
Emily Kam Kngwarray’s rising international prominence illustrates this transformation. In
May 2024, her Untitled (Alhalker) sold for £635,000 (including Buyer’s Premium) at
Sotheby’s London, signalling renewed interest at the highest levels of the global art world.
In July, her work will be the subject of a major exhibition at Tate Modern, her first large-
scale European institutional solo show. Co-presented with the National Gallery of Australia,
the exhibition builds on the landmark 2023–24 retrospective curated by Kelli Cole and Hetti
Perkins and includes works sourced from across Europe and the U.S., including loans from
private collections such as that of Steve Martin.
Commercial galleries have played a pivotal role in driving the rise of Australian First Nations
art, withD’Lan Contemporary at the forefront. Founded in 2016 by D’Lan Davidson, the
gallery has become a key conduit for Indigenous artists.
At Frieze Masters 2023, D’Lan Contemporary’s presentation of Emily Kam Kngwarray’s work
generated more than USD $2.7 million in sales, with major institutions among the buyers. In
2024, its exhibition Spirit + Truth featuring Paddy Bedford achieved USD $1.3 million, setting
new benchmarks for individual works.
Maintaining momentum at TEFAF Maastricht 2025, the gallery sold Kngwarray’s Awelye
II (1995) for $600,000, cementing its international influence. With permanent spaces now
in Sydney, Melbourne, and New York, D’Lan Contemporary has developed a model
anchored in cultural stewardship.
Central to that model is a commitment to reinvestment: 30% of profits are allocated to
support Indigenous artists and their communities, a move that has fostered deep trust and
reduced market friction. “For years, the market was gatekept,” Davidson reflects,
highlighting the importance of education and cultural literacy. A curatorial team led
by Vanessa Malino and Lucas Scholes ensures each work is accompanied by cultural context
and presented with transparency.
These efforts have not gone unnoticed by the broader art world. Major international
galleries such as Pace and Gagosian have begun engaging more directly with First Nations
artists. At Art Basel 2024, Pace reported sales of Yam Story (1995) by Kngwarray for
$250,000 and Emu-Yuyara and Yam – Annlara Dreaming at Alagura (1990) for $200,000. Currently on view at Pace London, My Country, developed in partnership with D’Lan
Contemporary, charts the evolution of Kngwarray’s visual language. Works are priced
between $1 million and $1.5 million, reflecting growing institutional interest and in line with
her auction record for Earth’s Creation, which sold in 2017. The galleries will be contributing
10 percent of the exhibition proceeds in support of the broader community in Utopia, in
addition to the Artist Resale Right, which goes directly to Kngwarray’s estate.
What once sat at the margins of the global art market is now gaining prominence. The current reassessment of Australian First Nations art is not just a market correction, it is a cultural realignment. As collectors, institutions, and audiences engage with the depth, diversity, and sovereignty of Indigenous expression, they are participating in something far more enduring than trend or investment: a redefinition of value itself.
Cover image: Emily Kam Kngwarray, Untitled (Alhalker), 1993, sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong in March 2024
