The National Indigenous Art Fair returns to The Rocks

The National Indigenous Art Fair (NIAF) is an incredibly special annual event, bringing artists from some of the most remote communities around Australia together under one roof. This year marks the sixth edition of the festival, which will be held on 5-6 July 2025 at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at The Rocks, Sydney, on Gadigal land.

Presented by First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, the two-day ethical art market features nearly 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from over 30 remote art centres across Australia. Previous years have seen over 10,000 people attend the popular and vibrant cultural event.

Returning in an expanded leadership role is actor, curator and proud Bundjalung woman Miah Madden, who has curated several exciting new programs for 2025. These include the Heart in Art professional development series, Cultural Couture: Storytelling Through Indigenous Fashion and The Living Room, a collaborative exhibition of textiles and furniture.

From the Tiwi Islands to Central Australia, the 2025 Fair showcases extraordinary talent. Visitors will be able to explore and purchase an array of original artworks, fashion, textiles, ceramics, homewares, jewellery and more. Among the standout artists is internationally acclaimed Regina Pilawuk Wilson, a Ngan’gikurrungurr artist and cultural leader from Durrmu Arts in the Northern Territory. Regina’s mesmerising paintings, rooted in traditional weaving, are held in major institutions including the Art Gallery of NSW, NGV, GOMA, and the British Museum. She will also host a weaving masterclass using merrepen fibres from her Peppimenarti community.

Artists Alison and Lucinta Puruntatameri from Munupi Arts use natural ochres and the traditional pwoja comb technique in rhythmic works that reflect their ancestral stories. Priscilla Herbert and Valerie Brumby of Walkatjara Art share vibrant dot paintings inspired by sacred Country near Uluru, while Valerie also illustrates the newly released children’s book Rain on the Rock.

From Anindilyakwa Arts, Alice Durilla brings rare dash painting and pandanus weaving, preserving endangered cultural practices. Chantelle Mulladad of Keringke Arts offers bold geometric works like Crossroads, which featured on the Ghan train during Parrtjima Festival. Meanwhile, Vanetta Nampijinpa Hudson, a young Warlukurlangu artist, paints her father’s Fire Dreaming, now seen on Grove Juice bottles across the country.

“What makes the Art Fair so special is the chance for people in Sydney to meet artists from some of the most remote parts of the country, have a yarn, and hear the stories behind the work,” said Peter Cooley, CEO of First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation. “It’s not just about buying art — it’s about connection, culture, and creating real opportunities for our mob. Every artist here is carrying knowledge and sharing that with the next generation as well as visitors to the Art Fair. That’s what this Fair is all about.”

Running during the opening weekend of NAIDOC Week, the 2025 event aligns with this year’s theme — The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy — and features a dynamic public program of live music, traditional dance, bush food tastings, weaving circles and fashion showcases.

Art centres attending:

Yinjaa-Barni Art, Walkatjara Art, Yalanji Arts, Warlayirti Artists, Badu Art Centre, Engawala Art Centre, Jilamara Arts and Crafts, Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre, Minyma Kutjara Arts, Durrmu Arts, Marrawuddi Arts & Culture, Maruku Arts, Bábbarra Women’s Centre, Anindilyakwa Arts, UMI Arts, Keringke Arts, APY Art Centre Collective, Artists of Ampilatwatja, Spinifex Hill Studio, Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjarra Art, Warlukurlangu Artists, Ikuntji Artists, Munupi Aboriginal Arts & Crafts, Warnayaka Art, Injalak Arts, Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts, Bula’bula Arts

Entry is $3 (free for under-12s), with all proceeds supporting remote artists. For more information on the artists and program, visit niaf.com.au.