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Cairns Indigenous Art Fair brings curatorial theme to life with hero artwork animation

Phoebe Blogg Published November 18, 2025 at 4.30pm (AWST)

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair will be held under the curatorial theme Reclamation & Regeneration next July. (Image: supplied)

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair has unveiled its 2026 Hero Artwork Animation, a striking digital collaboration with Far North Queensland creative collective Red Ochre Republic, bringing the curatorial theme Reclamation & Regeneration to life through movement, sound and story.

Produced by Red Ochre Republic artists Tarquin Singleton, Sheree Jacobs and Leigh Harris, the immersive animation transforms Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), annual hero artwork into a vivid storytelling experience.

*CIAF Reclamation & Regeneration Hero Animation Artwork Stills. (Image: supplied)*

Red Ochre Republic is a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned and lead creative design and digital agency based in Far North Queensland, specialising in creative design, digital storytelling and cultural placemaking.

Serving as both the central branding motif and a large-scale projection, the work explores remembrance, renewal and cultural strength — reclaiming language, identity and spirit through contemporary visual art.

The animation marks the beginning of CIAF's 2026 season. It sets the tone for its major new commissioning project, Resonance, delivered in partnership with Troy Casey and Amanda Hayman of Brisbane-based creative agency, Blaklash, and supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland's First Nations Commissioning Fund ($70,000).

CIAF artistic director, Teho Ropeyarn, said the project embodies the organisation's forward momentum and commitment to amplifying First Nations voices through collaboration and innovation.

"This animation is a powerful expression of reclamation — it honours cultural survival, creative resurgence and the connection our artists maintain with Country," he said.

"Working with Red Ochre Republic, we've translated this year's theme into something that moves and breathes; it is both a tribute to our ancestors and a vision for future generations of storytellers."

Following its record-breaking 2025 season which drew nearly 15,000 visitors and generated more than $700,000 in art sales, CIAF continues to strengthen its role as a national leader in First Nations cultural celebration.

The Hero Artwork Animation was created in collaboration with Red Ochre Republic's Indigenous designers Tarquin Singleton and Sheree Jacobs. The animation is narrated by CIAF Artistic Director, Teho Ropeyarn, and features a soundscape mix by Red Ochre Republic with samples from Moses Warusam.

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, themed Reclamation & Regeneration, will be held at Cairns' Tanks Arts Centre 9-12 July, 2026.

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