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This winter, while the rest of Australia suffers through grey skies and seasonal blues, the Top End is preparing to host one of our absolute favourite events of the year: Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF). As the largest event of its kind in Australia, it brings together thousands of brilliant artworks from the country's most remote Indigenous communities in one vibrant marketplace. Entry is free, and an online sale runs simultaneously for those eager to shop ethically from home.
This August, DAAF returns to Larrakia Country to celebrate 20 years of showcasing the world’s oldest living cultures through art and fashion. The historic event follows a record-breaking decade, which has generated more than $34.2 million for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual art sector.
From traditional bark paintings and weaving to contemporary sculptures and textiles, the fair showcases the spectacular diversity of First Nations art. The in-person event is free to attend at Darwin Convention Centre from August 7 to 9, giving art lovers and collectors the chance to ethically shop directly from 1,500 artists representing more than 75 Indigenous-owned art centres nationwide.
This is more than a standard art market; it's an immersive cultural celebration, complete with workshops, singing and dance performances, children’s activities and artist talks. Ahead of the fair, the week spotlights First Nations fashion and textiles, with Country to Couture runways on August 2 and 3, alongside the National Indigenous Fashion Awards on August 5.
Good news for those who can’t make the trip north this year: you can shop for artwork directly from DAAF Online, which runs simultaneously with the in-person event. Ultimately, you’ll score a beautiful new piece to decorate your house, while feeling good knowing that 100 per cent of sales from both in-person and online sales go directly back to the art centres and their communities.