CIAF 2026 TALKS PROGRAM
Friday 10 - Sunday 12 July 2026 | Ticketed & Free Events
CIAF’s 2026 Reclamation & Regeneration Talks Program, curated by Tania Major, will go in-depth into all things artmaking, collecting, promoting, policies and politics, conservation, and artistic authenticity in an era of Truth-Telling. Our esteemed keynote speakers are made up of artists, arts workers, curators and arts writers, authors, and visionaries in arts showcasing internationally. Representing First Nations arts will be experts of all fields, background and ages—alongside the occasional ally in the arts—bringing to the fore a reignited look into groundbreaking cultural and contemporary arts practice and theory.
Meet the CIAF 2026 Mark Makers Keynote Speakers
Blak Douglas
11 am - 12 noon Friday 11 July, Tanks Art Centre | Ticketed
Blak Portraits and the Archibald Prize
Step inside the world of Blak Douglas, the groundbreaking Archibald Prize winner, as he makes his highly anticipated Cairns debut at CIAF. In this rare and intimate talk, Blak Douglas takes audiences behind the scenes of Australia’s most prestigious art prize, sharing the stories, struggles and triumphs behind his finalist works and winning portrait.
Hear from Blak Douglas' powerful insight into the creative process, cultural identity and the realities of navigating the national art stage as a First Nations artist. With honesty, humour and deep reflection, Blak Douglas offers inspiration for the next generation while opening the door for more Blak voices to rise.
Do not miss this special keynote event, a unique opportunity for audiences to connect with one of Australia’s most compelling contemporary artists live in Cairns for the very first time.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born Adam Douglas Hill on Bungarrabee Country ‘Blacktown’, New South Wales in 1970 to a Dhungatti Aboriginal father and caucasian mother carrying proud English, German, Irish & Scottish ancestry. The moniker ‘Blak Douglas’ was conceived 2014 in honour of his two dominant genealogies.
Blak Douglas is a self taught artist making work that primarily highlights social justice issues effecting First Nations peoples upon this continent. Highlights of a 26 year career include winning the Mil - Pra Art Prize 2001/02, Kilgour Prize 2019, the STILL Award 2020 and the Archibald Prize 2022.
Blak Douglas is a classically trained Yidaki (Didgeridoo) player having studied under many great cultural tutors, upholding a stellar playing career spanning two decades. He continues to present school workshops and public educational performances far and wide.
Luke Currie-Richardson
Saturday 11 July, 1am - 12noon, Tanks Art Centre (Tank 5) | Ticketed
Dancing in Between Worlds
In this deeply personal keynote, Luke Currie-Richardson shares his journey through the arts, tracing the path from Ilan dancer, emerging performer to multidisciplinary artist navigating complex creative and cultural landscapes. Grounded in lived experience, his story explores the realities of building a sustainable career while holding strong to identity, values, and purpose.
At the heart of the talk is an honest reflection on what it means to live and create as a Blak artist away from Country. Luke unpacks the tension between distance and connection, and how these shape both artistic voice and personal understanding. Through this lens, he offers insight into the evolving relationship between culture, place, and practice.
Blending storytelling with reflection, the keynote highlights the mindsets that have underpinned his journey: resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to authenticity in spaces that are not always built to hold it. He speaks candidly about navigating institutions, challenging expectations, and reclaiming space within the industry.
This keynote is an invitation for audiences to consider their own pathways, encouraging a deeper awareness of identity, creative integrity, and the power of storytelling as a tool for both personal and collective transformation. During the keynote, Luke will perform a spoken word called Social Mediocre which talks about Luke as he navigates identity via social media as well as sharing some of my photography work. There will be an opportunity for questions from the audience during this session.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Luke is a descendant of the Kuku Yalanji and Djabugay peoples, the Mununjali Clan of South East QLD, the Butchulla clan of K’gari and the Meriam people of the Eastern Torres Straits Islands. He aspires to be a role model for young people both Indigenous and non-Indigenous to show them they can be and do all things.
Luke began storytelling in 2000 learning and performing traditional dance with Gerib Sik Torres Strait Islander Dance Group with his family in Canberra. His first introduction to contemporary arts came as a member of the youth dance ensemble QL2 in their 2007 production Unspeakable. Today, he is a dancer, photographer, writer, performer and actor (among other things!).
Elverina Johnson
11.00am – 12noon Sunday 12 July | Tank 5 | Ticketed
Reclaiming our Narratives through Regeneration of our Storytelling
Step into a powerful conversation with Elverina Johnson as she brings the theme of Reclamation and Regeneration to life through her personal and creative journey. From music to painting, photography, theatre and fashion, Elverina shares how storytelling across art forms becomes a living expression of culture, identity and self-determination. Drawing from her roots in Yarrabah, she offers a compelling insight into the strength of community and the importance of reclaiming narrative authority in the present day.
“The idea or concept of Reclamation and Regeneration for me is about taking control of the narratives in which we express not just the stories of our ancestors but also our very own stories to which we can now have full control and autonomy over. Reclamation and Regeneration in practice through creative pathways is vital to cultural survival. Reclamation and Regeneration is here and now,” says Elverina.
This is an inspiring and deeply human reflection on how artists are shaping their own stories while honouring those who came before them. Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking experience that speaks to resilience, creativity and the future of First Nations storytelling.
Do not miss this special keynote event, it is a unique opportunity for audiences to connect with one of Australia’s most compelling contemporary artists from Yarrabah.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Elverina Johnson is a highly respected Gungganji and Gimuy Walubara Yidinji artist from Yarrabah (Far North Queensland). With over 30 years of experience in the arts industry, Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist working across painting, fashion as well as music and performing arts. Having worked with youth and Elders over the years to promote cultural respect and integrity, Elverina Johnson’s practice expresses a deep and innate understanding of Country that honours the traditions and stories belonging to her culture and ancestral homelands.
CIAF Talks Curator
Tania Major
Tania Major is a Kokoberra contemporary artist from Kowanyama, Cape York in northern Queensland, Australia.
Major’s painting and sculptural practice draws upon her cultural heritage and enduring connection to her land and waters. Her work explores themes of identity and spirituality, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of the knowledge held by the Kokoberra, Yir Yoront, (Kokomenjen) and Kunjen clans; the Traditional Owners and descendants of the Lower Mitchell and Alice River.
An artist, activist, and former Young Australian of the Year, Major first came to prominence in 2004 as the youngest person elected to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). In 2007, Major was awarded Young Australian of the Year for her signification contributions in addressing the challenges faced by remote communities in Cape York.
Tania Major’s debut solo exhibition Echoes of Country - Stories from Kowanyama was presented at the Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne in 2024. In the same year, her sculptural work New Ghosts Lost on Country 1, 2 and 3 was awarded the 3D Design, Sculpture & Installation Award at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.
In 2025, Cairns Art Gallery presented Major's first institutional solo exhibition: Kowanyama - When Rain Falls, When Earth Sleeps. This exhibition features three papier-mâché dilly bag sculptures from Major's series, Traditional Reimagined Dilly Bags from the Cairns Art Gallery collection, alongside new paintings and sculptures.
Panel Discussions
Tank 5 | FREE EVENTS | Program coming soon