The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) is inviting art lovers, collectors, and curious minds to roll up their sleeves and immerse themselves in its newly announced 2025 Masterclass Series—a program of intimate, ticketed workshops hosted by some of Queensland’s most esteemed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
The five CIAF Masterclasses, from Friday 11 July, to Sunday 13 July, at the Tanks Arts Centre, will explore a range of traditional and contemporary practices—from weaving and pigment ink-making to cultural storytelling through fashion and truth-telling via object art.
Led by master practitioners Helena Loncaric, Samala Cronin (MumRed), Nephi Denham, Kerry Klimm, and Matilda Nona, each masterclass is limited to 15 participants to allow for focused, hands-on learning in a culturally rich environment.
According to CIAF Artistic Director Teho Ropeyarn, the 2025 Masterclass Series is an extension of the fair’s mission to create opportunities for deep engagement and cultural exchange.
“CIAF’s Masterclasses offer more than technical skills—they invite participants into a space of truth-telling, cultural transmission, and creative reflection,” said Mr Ropeyarn. “Each session honours the strength and continuity of First Nations knowledge systems while providing an extraordinary opportunity to learn directly from leading artists in their field.”
CIAF 2025 Masterclasses: Program Highlights
Friday 11 July
10am – 12pm – The Art of Weaving with Helena Loncaric | $150
Learn the traditional art of weaving in a reflective, communal setting. Participants will explore the cultural and meditative aspects of basket weaving, once known as “women’s business,” now open to all.
1pm – 3pm – From Fur to Feathers: Designing Bags with Samala Cronin (MumRed) | $200
Create bespoke leather bags using kangaroo and possum fur, beads, paint pens and upcycled materials, blending traditional techniques with high fashion storytelling.
Saturday 12 July
10am – 12pm – Mindi Weaving with Nephi Denham (Girringun Art Centre) | $150
Discover the cultural significance and evolving forms of Mindi weaving using both native and modern materials like lomandra, rope, and wire.
1pm – 3pm – Spill the Tea on the Colony with Kerry Klimm | $150
A provocative truth-telling workshop where participants decorate second-hand teacups with powerful words and phrases over tea and conversation.
Sunday 13 July
10am – 12pm – Printmaking with Natural Pigments with Matilda Nona | $200
In this unique printmaking experience grounded in ancestral knowledge, you will learn how to turn ochres, plant extracts, and mangrove bark into pigment-based inks.
Tickets are strictly limited and now available at the CIAF Ticketing Hub.
Images: 1. (top) Mindi Weaving with Nephi Denham. Photograph: Blueclick Photography. 2. Samala Cronin (MumRed) at Melbourne Fashion week with one of her signature From Fur to Feathers bags. Photograph: Billy Bogoeski.
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