Away from the red earth and remote landscapes we cherish lies the secondary market for Australian Indigenous Art.
Works by Emily Kame Kngwarreye Shine in Deutscher and Hackett's March Auction
Deutscher and Hackett’s Important Australian Indigenous Art sale, held in Melbourne on 26 March 2025, delivered mixed results across established and emerging names, with particularly strong outcomes for major works by Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Albert Namatjira, and a notable debut for Vincent Namatjira in the high-end of the secondary market.
Results noted are hammer prices, excluding the buyer's premium (BP)
At Deutscher and Hackett, the buyer's premium (BP) is 25% of the hammer price, inclusive of GST. This means that for a winning bid of $100,000, the total purchase price would be $125,000, including the BP. Results reported by D&H include the BP, excluding GST. For simplicity, we share only the auction hammer prices.
Untitled (Awelye), 1992, which sold for $975,000 (excluding BP) - © Emily Kame Kngwarreye/Copyright Agency
Emily Kame Kngwarreye Leads the Sale
The top lot was Kngwarray’s Untitled (Awelye), 1992, which sold for $975,000, exceeding its high estimate by $375,000. This continues the pattern of buyer confidence in her large-scale works from the early 1990s. Other Kngwarray results included Yam Flowers, 1994, at $135,000 (est. $50,000–70,000) and Lot 55: Untitled (Awelye), 1994 at $100,000 (est. $25,000–35,000). All five of her works sold well.
Vincent Namatjira, The Queen and Me sold for $30,000. © Vincent Namatjira
First Major Auction House Appearance for Vincent Namatjira
Two early portraits by Vincent Namatjira marked a notable arrival to a mjor auction house. The Queen and Me (2017) fetched $30,000 (est. $30,000–40,000), while My Friend Tiger from the same year sold for $25,000 (est. $25,000–35,000). These early career works sat fittingly alongside a standout painting by his great-grandfather Albert Namatjira. Arafura Sea at Darwin, painted in 1950, more than doubled its high estimate to reach $190,000 (est. $60,000–80,000). The inclusion of both artists in the same sale highlighted a rare intergenerational moment, drawing a line from watercolour to political portraiture within the Namatjira legacy.
Albert Namatjira, Arafura Sea at Darwin, 1950 © Namatjira Legacy Trust/Copyright Agency 2025
Other Highlights and Notable Results
- Doreen Reid Nakamarra's 2007 Untitiled work smashed its $30,000-$40,000 estimate to sell for $170,000.
- Sally Gabori’s Nyinyilki Country (2010) reached $90,000 (est. $50,000–70,000), and My Country (2009) fetched $50,000 (est. $28,000–35,000).
- DJERRKŊU Yunupiŋu’s 2020 bark painting Yemaya reached $48,000, comfortably above the $30,000 top end of its estimate.
- Lin Onus’s Arafura Swamp IV (1996) achieved $300,000, the low end of its estimate. His 1995 work Garkman (63x27cm) sold for $55,000 (est. $40,000–60,000).
- Paddy Bedford’s Dingo Dreaming (2001) realised $130,000 (est. $100,000–140,000).
- Tommy Mitchell's Walu (2010) sold for $17,000 (est. $5,000-$7,000).
- Angelina George's Near The Ruined City (2007) reached $17,000 (est $6,000-$8,000)
- Gloria Fletcher Thancoupie's Untitled (1989) ceramic archieved $16,000 (est. $5,000-$7,000)
Summary
Across 75 lots, the sale saw a high clearance rate, with competitive bidding for major artists and strong support for works with institutional weight behind them. New names held their ground, while recognised artists such as Kngwarray, Gabori, Bedford, and Onus continued to attract top-tier results. The auction confirms the strength of the secondary market for key figures in Australian Indigenous art, and suggests increasing confidence in works by artists like Vincent Namatjira as they transition into that space.