Ethical Aboriginal Art?
🚨What People Don’t Tell You About Aboriginal Art
For years, shady dealers have been exploiting Aboriginal artists.
(We’re talking cloudy-at-midnight shady.)
Paying them peanuts. 🥜
Flipping their work for 10x, 20x, even 50x the price.
The artists get ripped off. ⛔️
The buyers get ripped off. ⛔️
They’ll tell you it’s “authentic” and “ethical.”
They’ll wave certificates in your face. 📜
They’ll whisper sweet-nothings to earn your trust…
Or hammer you with ads.
Whatever it takes.
This meme sums it up, really.
Sadly, it's not illegal.
But it’s 100% immoral.
These dealers don’t care about the artists.
They don’t care about the culture.
They only care about one thing: lining their pockets. 🤑
And the artists?
The custodians of thousands of years of storytelling, tradition, and raw cultural power?
They’re left with scraps.
You know the saying, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"?
In remote areas, economic opportunities are rare.
So, even a tiny payment feels better than nothing.
Or a beat-up car—a classic carpetbagger move.🚗
And that’s exactly what these dealers exploit.
This isn’t just a few fly-by-night scallywags. 🏴☠️
This is big business.
These shady operations rake in tens of millions every year 💰—likely even more.
Would you hang art on your wall if you knew it came from exploitation?
Would you support a system designed to profit off poverty?
Yikes! I hope not.
That’s why I started ART ARK® in 2015.
To raise awareness and educate buyers.
To make ethical art easier to access.
To champion the artists.
It’s easy to feel disheartened when you hear about dodgy dealers.
But here’s the flip side: there’s an incredible industry waiting for your support.
Around 88 community-run art centres scatter some of the remotest parts of Australia.
They’re the lifeblood of Aboriginal communities.
Where culture is shared, preserved, and strengthened.
Where artists support their families and build opportunities for their communities.
Artists sharing their stories and traditions.
Lifting themselves and their families up.
For 10 years I worked for the amazing art centres we now partner with.
The brazen practices of professional 'carpet-baggers' were…
Eye-opening, to say the least.
Blood-boiling, really.
I watched the supply chains to ritzy galleries.
Buyers, none the wiser.
By the way, if we’re preaching to the converted, that’s awesome.
Spread the word.
We only win by telling enough people.
Because there’s a right way to buy Aboriginal art—
And a very wrong way.
🌟 Here’s how we’re different:
✅ 100% of our art comes from publicly-audited, not-for-profit, community-run Aboriginal Art Centres.
✅ Artworks are on consignment, keeping the power with the artists and art centres. Not bought and sold at inflated prices.
✅ Artists are the directors and they set the prices—no shady backroom deals.
✅ Every sale directly supports the artists and their communities.
But don’t take our word for it.
We have over 1,515 glowing reviews from people who’ve joined us in supporting artists and preserving culture.
Plus, countless supporters who believe in a better, fairer art industry.
What our customers are saying:
Sarah said: "This is the second time we have purchased a painting on Art Ark and we will definitely return again. We absolutely love the quality pieces that they sell and the overall experience is seamless. Accurate photos, fast delivery, amazing customer service. I feel assured that I am able to support Aboriginal artists and art centres ethically through Art Ark."
Mala’s short and sweet review: "We purchased our first piece of Aboriginal artwork through ART ARK. Absolutely love it. Great service."
Shanie shares: "As always the painting is superb, the service wonderful, and the overall experience a very happy one. Thank you ART ARK for this beautiful painting. I have recommended you to all my friends and family."
And guess what?
The dodgy dealers hate us.
But we don’t care.
We like that they don’t like us.✌🏽
Because standing up for what’s right means exposing an underbelly built on greed and lies.
Aboriginal art isn’t just decoration.
It’s culture.
It’s storytelling.
It’s connection.
When you buy from ART ARK®, you’re not just owning a beautiful piece of art.
You’re:
🌟 Supporting and celebrating real artists.
🌟 Preserving thousands of years of history.
🌟 Rejecting the exploitation that’s poisoned the industry for too long.
This isn’t just art.
It’s meaning, tradition, and impact—rolled into one.
We want to teach you what school didn’t.
🌟The Dreaming.
🌟The symbols.
🌟The stories.
And the history behind it all.
Let us share it with you.
And let's celebrate the artists and their amazing work together.
Join our mailing list to connect and learn.
Or better yet, jump right in and support an artist.
Own a meaningful piece of culture you’ll treasure forever.
Arnhem Land Weaving Arnhem Land Art Dot Paintings Subscribers Stretched Paintings Desert Weavings Watercolour Paintings
P.S. If you find this polarising that's kind of the point. It means you’re paying attention to something that matters.