Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair in Darwin
Each August in Darwin, on Larrakia Country, more than 75 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres set up booths inside the Darwin Convention Centre and sell directly to the public. No galleries in between, no commission taken by the organisers, 100 percent of sales going back to the art centres and the artists who made the work. That is the core of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, known as DAAF, and it is why the event matters to anyone who buys Aboriginal art seriously.
The inaugural fair was held in 2007 with 16 art centres, founded by Apolline Kohen, then Director of Maningrida Art and Culture. It was originally conceived to complement the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), which are held at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in the same August period. From that modest beginning the fair grew steadily. In December 2011 a dedicated board met in Darwin for the first time, and on 2 March 2012 the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation Limited was formally established as a not-for-profit Indigenous organisation owned and governed by the art centres it represents. By 2025 it was in its 19th year, with 79 art centres participating and work from more than 1,500 artists on show.
The fair sits within the most concentrated few weeks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts in the country. Running alongside DAAF each August are the NATSIAA, the National Indigenous Music Awards, the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land, and Salon de Refuse. For collectors, curators, gallerists and first-time buyers, the combination makes Darwin in August a serious destination. DAAF also runs an online store simultaneously, which means art centres from the most remote parts of Australia can sell to buyers who cannot make the journey north.
What distinguishes DAAF from a commercial art fair is its structure. Art centres represented at the fair are Aboriginal-owned, not-for-profit incorporated organisations. When you buy at DAAF, the money goes directly to the community organisation that supports the artists, funds the studio, pays the art workers, and in many cases underwrites the only reliable income in a remote community. The foundation publishes an impact report each year showing the figures: in 2025, the fair represented art centres from desert, coastal, tropical and urban communities across every state and territory.
The fair also runs a public program alongside the commercial floor: artist masterclasses, material demonstrations, traditional dance performances, children's activities, and the Untold Series of talks led by First Nations artists, curators and cultural leaders. Preceding the fair each year, DAAF Foundation presents the Country to Couture runway and the National Indigenous Fashion Awards through its Indigenous Fashion Projects program, making the full week one of the broadest showcases of First Nations creative practice in Australia.
In 2026 DAAF marks its 20th anniversary. The fair runs 6 to 9 August 2026 at the Darwin Convention Centre on Larrakia Country, with the broader week of events from 2 August. Entry to the fair floor is free.
DAAF at a glance
- What: Annual art fair where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres sell directly to the public, with 100% of sales returned to the art centres
- When: Each August; 2026 fair runs 6 to 9 August (full week of events 2 to 9 August)
- Where: Darwin Convention Centre, Larrakia Country, Darwin NT; also online
- Scale: 75 to 80+ art centres; 1,500+ artists; free entry
- Founded: 2007 by Apolline Kohen; DAAF Foundation formally established 2 March 2012
- Governed by: Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation, a not-for-profit Indigenous organisation owned by its member art centres
- Coincides with: NATSIAA, National Indigenous Music Awards, Garma Festival, Salon de Refuse
- Also includes: Country to Couture runway, National Indigenous Fashion Awards, public program of talks, masterclasses and performances
