A bright Aboriginal artwork by Helen Robertson sharing her water Dreaming

Buy Aboriginal Art Ethically with ART ARK®

Ethical Aboriginal Art Matters. Here’s Why.

When you buy Aboriginal art ethically, you directly support Aboriginal artists and their communities.

The alternative? Your money ends up in the hands of dealers who exploit artists instead of empowering them.

Here’s the truth: Every unethical gallery claims to be ethical, and anyone with a printer can create a ‘certificate of authenticity.’

Navigating this minefield can be tricky. That’s why we provide clear guides and work only with community art centres so you can buy Aboriginal art the right way, with confidence and integrity.

At the end of the day, you deserve to know where your support goes, and the artists deserve to be celebrated and fairly compensated for their beautiful artworks.

ART ARK Aboriginal Art Gallery in Launceston, Tasmania

ART ARK® is based in Launceston, Tasmania (Lutruwita)

Dive straight into our Aboriginal art collections:

Dot Paintings Arnhem Land Weaving Arnhem Land Art Subscribers Stretched Paintings Desert Weavings Watercolour Paintings

At ART ARK®, we make buying and learning about Aboriginal art easy and meaningful by partnering exclusively with community-run, not-for-profit art centres. With over 1530+ 5-star reviews, our customers trust us to ensure every purchase makes a real difference. We also guide you on what to avoid, helping you support artists while steering clear of unethical practices.

Australian Aboriginal Art

Aboriginal rock painting of megafauna, Quinkan rock art, Laura, QLD

Aboriginal art is the world’s oldest continuous artistic tradition, spanning over 60,000 years. It embodies storytelling, spirituality, and a profound connection to Country, reflecting the deep ties of Aboriginal communities to the land, the Dreaming, and ancestral Dreamtime stories.

Resilient through ice ages and the impacts of colonisation, the history of Aboriginal art reveals its enduring strength as a powerful cultural expression. It preserves cultural knowledge, sustains traditions, and empowers remote communities economically.

Indigenous art centres in regions like the Kimberley, Central Desert, and Arnhem Land play a crucial role in this legacy. These community-run hubs are vital for artistic production, offering social and economic opportunities while fostering cultural pride and the transmission of knowledge to future generations.

Sadly, not everyone sells Aboriginal art for the right reasons. Unscrupulous dealers continue to exploit artists, paying them only a fraction of the sale price while deceiving unsuspecting buyers. The irony? These same dealers warn about 'unscrupulous sellers' to appear trustworthy. *Cue facepalm 🤦🏽‍♀️

Supporting Aboriginal Artists and Buying Aboriginal Art Ethically

At ART ARK®, we champion the good side. And there is a good side! An amazing and uplifting industry where buying Aboriginal art supports whole communities. We partner exclusively with not-for-profit, community-run, and publicly audited art centres that prioritise their artists' interests and authenticate the artworks we sell.

Aboriginal Art Centres? Ethical Aboriginal Art? Authenticity? Indigenous Art Code?

Aboriginal Artists painting at the Warlukurlangu art studio in Nyirripi

Artists painting at the Warlukurlangu art studio in Nyirripi community, Northern Territory

Before founding ART ARK®

We worked for these incredible community centres for over ten years. Our mission today is to combat the prevalent exploitation in the Aboriginal art market through education while providing you with a seamless, ethical way to support talented artists. Through these partnerships, we strive to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal art and culture, promoting fair practices and the economic empowerment of Aboriginal communities.

Discover the Diversity of Aboriginal Art: From Dot Paintings to Bark Paintings and Beyond

Explore our beautiful Aboriginal artworks and take pride in owning a piece that truly makes a difference. When you purchase Aboriginal art from ART ARK®, you're choosing fairness, authenticity, and respect. Each artwork reflects the rich cultural heritage and artistic excellence of Aboriginal communities, ensuring that your purchase contributes to the preservation and empowerment of these remarkable traditions.

Culture, History, Symbols, and Dreamtime Stories

Beyond sharing beautiful artworks with you, we invite you to explore the rich history of Aboriginal art in Australia. Discover the meanings behind Aboriginal art symbols, the significance of the Dreaming, and the artistic expression of Dreamtime stories. This journey will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the cultural heritage and timeless traditions that make Aboriginal art so significant.

Aboriginal Art History

Explore the history of Aboriginal art, tracing its journey from ancient rock paintings, through the impacts of colonisation, to contemporary times.

What is The Dreaming

Learn about The Dreaming, a foundational concept in Aboriginal art and culture that explains the interconnectedness of life and the spiritual world.

Aboriginal Art Symbols

Explore the diverse symbols in Aboriginal art, each embedded with deep cultural meanings and integral to the broader narrative of Aboriginal traditions.

Aboriginal Dot Painting

Understand the emergence of Aboriginal dot painting, an art form that uses intricate dot patterns to tell stories and preserve ancient traditions.

Behind Every Dot, Symbol, and Artwork is an Artist Sharing Their Culture and Supporting Their Family

Discover pivotal Aboriginal artists and the community art centres that support them, and learn more about authenticity and buying Aboriginal art ethically with these articles.

Aboriginal Artist Margaret Lewis Painting her Mina Mina Dreaming

25 Famous Aboriginal Artists You Should Know

Discover 25 famous Aboriginal artists, whose works have significantly contributed to both Australian and international art scenes.

Aboriginal Artist Jeani Lewis Painting her Mina Mina Dreaming

88 Aboriginal Art Centres

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres are vital to Indigenous communities across Australia, serving as dynamic spaces for cultural preservation, economic development, and social connection.

Aboriginal Artist Tina Martin Painting her Mina Mina Dreaming

What We Mean by Ethical Aboriginal Art

We hammer on about ethics because there's a flip side that's not so rosy when buying Aboriginal Art.

Aboriginal Artist Walter Brown Painting his Tingari Cycle Dreaming

Aboriginal Art Authenticity: What It Really Means

Authentic Aboriginal Art is a term that gets thrown around a lot as a catch phrase, mostly by unethical dealers, but if you scratch the surface, it means something.

Aboriginal Art Regions

Aboriginal art has significant regional variations that reflect the unique cultural identities and artistic expressions of different Aboriginal language groups across the continent. Historically, Australian Aboriginal peoples had three main forms of communicating — storytelling, songs, and visual communication through painting, drawing, and the use of ceremonial design. Without a written language, future generations, beyond generational learning, largely depended on the wide breadth of Aboriginal art to communicate and understand past practices and culture. Aboriginal Art Regions

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