How to Frame Your Aboriginal Art
Framing Aboriginal Art
Framing Aboriginal art is an important step to ensure your piece is beautifully displayed and well-protected. Whether it’s a rolled painting from our Desert Paintings collection or a delicate woven artwork, choosing the right framing or hanging option enhances the beauty of the work while complementing your space.
Most of our canvas and linen paintings, apart from those in the Stretched Desert Paintings Collection, are shipped rolled for their safe and secure delivery. Rolling the paintings not only ensures their protection but also allows us to offer free shipping, maintain consistent and transparent pricing, and provide timely service while honouring the prices set by each Aboriginal Art centre.
A local framer will easily stretch the work for you at a nominal cost. Framers are everywhere and there is likely one just up the road. We recommend choosing one with good reviews and if you call ahead, you will generally get a better quoted price than if you turn up, painting in hand.
Our paintings are painted on either canvas or linen, and if you are wondering the difference, linen offers a tighter weave which is generally of a higher quality and is more expensive. Materials do vary between art centres, but they all use high-quality fine art materials.
What are the two options for framing and hanging your canvas Aboriginal painting?
1. Have the work stretched around a stretcher bar. This is the base option and is how we display paintings on our product pages. Please note that the size listed on each product page relates to the artwork itself, and there is also a painted edge (usually 2cm) and additional canvas (usually 5-6cm) to wrap around the stretcher frame like this.
2. Have the work stretched but with the addition of a floating frame, which is effectively a timber surround. This looks great and adds depth and prominence, but also increases the framer’s fee. We prefer natural timber (this example is Tas Oak), but black or white are also good options depending on your space.
Please note, we do not recommend framing your beautiful linen/canvas painting with glass. Glass would only be used if framing a work on paper or similar.
Framing Watercolour Paintings Behind Glass
For watercolour paintings or works on paper, framing with glass is highly recommended. Glass protects the artwork from dust, moisture, and UV light, ensuring its colours remain vibrant over time. When framing Aboriginal watercolours, opt for a non-reflective glass to avoid glare and use acid-free materials to preserve the paper. The frame itself can be simple or elaborate depending on your taste, but it should always allow the artwork to breathe and be displayed safely. This approach is ideal for enhancing the artwork's detail while safeguarding it from environmental damage.
Hanging Aboriginal Weavings
Aboriginal weavings, at their heart, are utilitarian and practical pieces. For this reason, we recommend hanging them in their natural form without any grand additions—though, of course, this is entirely up to your personal taste.
As these weavings often arrive rolled, we suggest flattening them with weights before hanging to ensure they display smoothly. When it comes time to hang, securing them from multiple points is the best way to avoid any risk of dropping. A simple and effective method is to use cable clips (also called electrical wire clips). You can find a pack of 20 at your local hardware store for around $2-$3, making it an affordable and reliable solution.
For weavings with elongated fringes, some customers have found it helpful to run a fishing line across the top section, attaching it to one of the clips. This prevents the fringe from drooping, helping to maintain the piece’s appearance.
Framing Aboriginal Bark Paintings
Bark paintings, an ancient and iconic art form of many Aboriginal communities, are best kept in their natural shape. Each painting arrives with a metal brace that ensures its shape and preserves its original form. While additional framing, such as placing the painting in a shadow box, is possible, we generally recommend against it, as it may detract from the artwork’s natural presence. The metal brace provides sufficient support for displaying the piece, allowing the organic beauty of the bark to remain unaltered.
