The National Indigenous Art Fair will return to Sydney for its sixth edition this July.
Set to take place at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal in The Rocks, the 2025 Art Fair will welcome Indigenous artists from some of the most remote communities in Australia.
This year the event will feature more than 30 remote art centres and almost 100 artists from across the country.
Visitors to the Art Fair will be able to purchase original artworks, textiles, fashion, ceramics, homewares, jewellery and more — all created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists using techniques and materials grounded in culture and Country.
Held during the opening weekend of NAIDOC Week, the 2025 fair celebrates this year's theme — The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy — with a dynamic public program featuring live music, traditional dance, weaving circles, bush food tastings, and a new shop at the Runway Fashion and Flash Mob show, highlighting wearable art from New South Wales and remote designers from across Australia.
Among the standout names in this year's line-up is Regina Pilawuk Wilson, the internationally recognised Ngan'gikurrungurr artist and cultural leader behind Durrmu Arts in the Northern Territory.
Recognised for her intricate, hypnotic paintings based on weaving traditions, Wilson's work is held in major collections including the Art Gallery of NSW, NGV, GOMA and the British Museum.
Wilson will also host a hands-on weaving masterclass at the Art Fair, using merrepen (sandpalm) fibres from her community in Peppimenarti.
Also returning in an expanded creative leadership role is Miah Madden, a proud Bundjalung woman, actor and curator.
This year Madden has overseen the development of the Heart in Art professional development program for visiting artists, curated a new textile and furniture collaboration for The Living Room, participated in a panel discussion with NSW and remote fashion designers called Cultural Couture: Storytelling Through Indigenous Fashion, as well as presenting a companion exhibition at the Australian Design Centre.
In addition to Madden and Wilson, a diverse group of talented artists will feature at this year's fair including Alison and Lucinta Puruntatameri, Priscilla Herbert and Valerie Brumby.
Alison and Lucinta Puruntatameri, a mother and daughter duo from Munupi Arts on Melville Island, use natural ochres and the traditional pwoja comb technique to create rhythmic, patterned paintings inspired by ancestral stories.
Alison, a finalist in the Telstra NATSIAA and Ramsay Art Prize, draws inspiration from her grandfather's sea life and tidal movement stories while Lucinta, a 2025 NATSIAA finalist, brings a bold, contemporary visual style shaped by strong cultural ties.
From Walkatjara Art at Mutitjulu near Uluru, Priscilla Herbert and Valerie Brumby share stories through dot painting that connect deeply to sacred Country and the night sky.
Herbert's Seven Sisters canvases are known for their ethereal, star-filled quality, whilst Brumby, a cultural guide and storyteller, paints powerful narratives such as the Kuniya and Liru story of Uluru. She also recently illustrated Rain on the Rock, a new children's book published in early 2025.
First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation chief executive officer, Peter Cooley, said the fair is a significant event which allows the public to not only engage with First Nations artists but also their physical artworks.
"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," Cooley said.
"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."
The National Indigenous Art Fair is proudly presented by First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation in partnership with the Port Authority of NSW, Destination NSW, University of Technology Sydney, Place Management NSW, the City of Sydney, Nelson Meers Foundation, Macquarie Foundation, Gilbert + Tobin, the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program, and Mercure Sydney.
Presented by First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, the National Indigenous Art Fair and will be held on Gadigal land at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks, from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 5 July and 10am to 4pm on Sunday 6 July, 2025.
For more fashion, culture, arts and lifestyle news subscribe for free to the Style Up newsletter.
