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CIAF shop

The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2024 with a signature exhibition that pays homage to the unique talents of CIAF artists and their contributions to the Queensland Indigenous art movement since its first iteration in 2009.  

View and purchase works from CIAF's 2024 Signature Exhibition "Not Selling Cakes" below.

CIAF 2024

Not selling cakes: Celebrating CIAF’s 15th Year Anniversary  

Curated by Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 

Tank 4, Tanks Arts Centre

July 5 - 28

Exhibition launch party on July 26

The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2024 with a signature exhibition that pays homage to the unique talents of CIAF artists and their contributions to the Queensland Indigenous art movement since its first iteration in 2009. 

This significant milestone is a testament to the enduring legacy of Indigenous art and the cultural vibrancy of First Nations communities in Queensland, celebrating the past, present, and future of Indigenous artistic and cultural expression. The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair continues to be a beacon for preserving and promoting the unique artistic traditions and creating lasting legacies.   

Responding to the number ‘15’ as a legacy marker, CIAF invited 15 arts professionals to provide input into the development of the exhibition in celebration of art, culture, and community.  

The exhibition title “Not Selling Cakes” is a statement by the late Billy Missi which was first used to title the landmark 2006 report that investigated issues affecting the sustainability of Indigenous art centres in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait, a key factor in the launch of CIAF in 2009. 

 

* Artwork credits:

Tony Albert, image courtesy of Sullivan+Strumpf, Sydney

Zane Saunders

Judy Watson, leaking shield, 2002, pigment pencil and acrylic on hessian (jute), 169 x 75 cm. 
Image courtesy the Artist and Milani Gallery. Photography by Carl Warner.