DARWIN, Australia, Aug. 8, 2025 -- The world-renowned Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) returns to Larrakia Country in Darwin, Australia, and is online from August 8 to 10 (2025), celebrating Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, design and culture.
The largest event of its kind, DAAF Online is a global mecca for art and culture enthusiasts, gallerists, collectors, and first-time buyers, seeking a truly unique shopping experience.
Hosting artworks from more than 44 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres online (and 79 Art Centre across the hybrid event), DAAF Online invites guests to immerse in the rich and diverse contemporary creations of the world's oldest living cultures. Importantly, the DAAF Foundation also ensures the ability to ethically acquire exquisite artworks, with 100 percent of sales made going back to artists and their communities.
From the red sands of the Central Desert to the sparkling saltwater islands and waterways of Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Islands), the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) online platform offers access to a world of bold, contemporary First Nations design grounded in more than 65,000 years of culture. The art reflects the deep connections to Country, culture and community which shape each artist's practice. From intricate etchings at Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka in Arnhem Land to ochre-rich canvases from the Tiwi Islands' Jilamara Arts, every purchase supports ethical and sustainable futures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and their communities.
Buying First Nations art is more than a transaction—it's a powerful act of connection. As Adam Boyd of Moa Arts shares, it offers "a unique view of Country and the people that keep it alive." Whether it's the vibrant works of Iwantja Arts celebrated on the global stage, or Warlukurlangu Artists whose fire stories travel far beyond Central Australia, each artwork carries generations of storytelling, innovation and cultural strength. Buy ethically from DAAF online and support the next chapter of Indigenous-led creativity and self-determined futures.
Some of the Art Centres featured at DAAF Online have, and are currently being exhibited internationally, in the United States and Europe:
Buku‑Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, Yirrkala, Arnhem Land
In 2023–25, Madayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala toured the United States—the first major U.S. exhibition curated in collaboration with Yolŋu leaders and featuring over 80 bark paintings, honouring Yolŋu cultural governance and artistic authority.
The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art
Launching on 18 October 2025 at the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, this major cultural exchange—partnering with the National Gallery of Victoria—features over 200 works by more than 130 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. It marks the largest-ever presentation of Indigenous Australian art internationally and will tour North America through early 2027, including venues like the Denver Art Museum, Portland Art Museum, Peabody Essex Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum. This exhibition will be featuring many artists from DAAF 2025's participating Art Centres
Jilamara Arts, Tiwi Islands
In March 2025, artist Johnathon World Peace Bush debuted his UK solo exhibition at Frieze No. 9 Cork Street, London—showcasing Tiwi ceremonial traditions through a striking, contemporary lens.
Warlukurlangu Artists, Yuendumu (Warlpiri Country)
From July to October 2025, Revisions: Made by the Warlpiri of Central Australia with Patrick Waterhouse was exhibited across Whitby Museum and Pannett Art Gallery in the UK. This collaborative project layered new acrylic works over colonial-era maps and documentation, asserting Warlpiri cultural sovereignty and narrative renewal.
DAAF Foundation's executive director, Claire Summers, said "the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair will return this August, allowing visitors to purchase and immerse themselves into the art of over 1,500 Indigenous artists and designers.
"We feel privileged to provide this global stage. It's inspiring to witness the market growth and appreciation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and design since the Fair began 19 years ago.
"Art fairs have a critical role to play in helping artists connect to both domestic and international markets. DAAF is unique in that it provides a platform for artists to showcase their work, putting Indigenous agency and their culture at the forefront.
"We look forward to welcoming guests from around the globe to buy directly from our Art Centres through our online component of the Fair," she said.
DAAF Online can be accessed via the following links:
DAAF Online imagery can be accessed here:
Further Event Information
19th Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) | 7-10 August:
Including the Opening Ceremony, Public Program and DAAF Online
The only national event of its kind, DAAF has secured a reputation as one of the country's most significant and internationally recognised arts events, creating a unique opportunity to connect with, and ethically purchase art directly from Art Centres, while meeting artists and learning firsthand about their cultural heritage, stories, history and traditional artistic practices through a range of masterclasses, talks and demonstrations.
Those unable to make the journey to the Top End of Australia and DAAF at the Convention Centre in person are invited to experience DAAF Online 2025. Free to access, the online platform will be open from 10am Friday 8 August, to 9pm Sunday 10 August 2025 (Australian Central Standard Time).
Information & tickets: www.daaf.com.au
DAAF Foundation is supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and receives funding from Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund, Australian Government Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support, Australian Government Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, Northern Territory Government through Northern Territory Major Events Company, Place for Indigenous Art & Culture, University of Melbourne, City of Darwin, Chapman & Bailey.
About the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation (DAAF Foundation)
The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation is a not-for-profit, Indigenous organization, which is owned and governed by the 80+ Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres and Peak Bodies it represents. DAAF Foundation celebrates the rich cultural and artistic diversity of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres. DAAF Foundation's vision is to provide vibrant and exciting platforms for First Nations art, design, and culture with a reputation for innovation, diversity and cultural integrity. Its keystone event is the renowned Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. More here: https://daaf.com.au/foundation/
What is an Art Centre?
Art Centres are at the heart of their communities, and of all that the DAAF Foundation does. Art Centres play an important role in maintaining and strengthening cultural practices. They operate as meeting places and offer opportunities for training, education, career pathways and enterprise.
Art Centre sales play a vital economic role in remote communities, often being the only externally generated source of income. Economic independence helps ensure the agency for people to live on their homelands, continuing the preservation of traditional practices, ceremonies, language, art and spirituality.
Art Centres provide a safe and supportive environment for artists and their families, contributing to the social and physical health of the community. More here: https://daaf.com.au/art-centres/what-is-an-art-centre/
Instagram: @darwinartfair Facebook: @DarwinAboriginalArtFair
