Cairns fair showcases northern Queensland Indigenous art with style
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair celebrates its 15th anniversary with a diverse range of artworks
Originally published on Global Voices
Libby Harward artwork: Stolen Culture Everywhere – Author's photo
The 2024 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) showcased artists from across Queensland, especially the far north of that Australian State. The fair was celebrating its 15th anniversary.
The art fair was established in 2009 as part of the Backing Indigenous Arts initiative of the Queensland government. Its aims included supporting:
- IAC [Indigenous Arts Centres] business development and growth that aligns with the centre’s strategic plan.
- Increased employment and professional development opportunities for First Nations arts managers, workers, and artists.
- Strengthened First Nations leadership of the First Nations visual arts and crafts sector.
- Increased capacity of artists and organisations to meet cultural obligations and market demand.
CIAF became an independent entity in 2013.
The artworks featured a diverse range of media including paintings, works on paper such as etchings and linocuts, fashion, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and 3D creations using a wide variety of materials, and multi-media.
Live events included the Fashion Performance, Country Speaking ‘Light the Fire’, and Indigenous music and dance at the Opening Night. There are some highlights in this video:
The CIAF YouTube channel has a playlist featuring individual designers. Artist and designer Delvene Cockatoo-Collins worked with students from the Queensland University of Technology to create this collection:
This video features photos of a range of artworks at Cairns Exhibition Centre and satellite venues. All photos were taken by the author:
The winners of the CIAF annual awards included Matilda Nona, an artist from Badu Island in the Torres Strait (TI) who won the Innovation prize:
Matilda Nona, winner of the Innovation award, with some of her art – author's photo
The Cape York Weekly reported:
When artist Matilda Nona’s unique work speaks about her Country from its stretched canvas stage, it is impossible not to listen in awe.
The Badu Island artist uses natural pigments found on her Torres Strait home in her work, a technique that resulted in her claiming the $10,000 Holding Redlich Innovation Award at the 2024 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair
The major Excellence Prize went to another TI artist Joel Sam for his piece:
Joel also comes from the Torres Strait, namely Thursday Island. His profile at the Cairns Art Gallery sums up his diverse artworks:
Joel creates intricate carvings and sculptures made from shell and marble. He is also a printmaker, using etching and linocut to create works that are inspired by his Torres Strait Islander culture and way of life. Joel’s designs are largely based on totemic and clan markings, and often include plants and animals, creatures from the sea, and astral constellations.
Indigenous people in Cairns face similar issues to those facing many first peoples in other parts of Australia, including a lack of employment opportunities, healthcare access, housing availability and youth detention.
Cairns is the holiday capital of the north, a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree forest, both UNESCO World Heritage areas. It is also a stopover on the way to the remote Cape of York, the Torres Strait Islands and the Gulf of Carpentaria.