Indigenous Australian Art Finds a New Audience at TEFAF Maastricht

"The gallery's inaugural presentation marked the first time Australian First Nations art had been presented at TEFAF Maastricht, and with sales totaling nearly $1.4 million, further underscored the growing relevance and interest in the category. Building on the momentum of the 2025 presentation, D Lan Galleries will now focus on works dating from the 1970s through today by artists whose practices have shaped the evolution of Australian Indigenous art."

"Among the highlights of the presentation is the 1995 Untitled - Winter Awelye by Emily Kam Kngwarray (ca. 1914-1996). Kngwarray is recognized as one of Australia's preeminent and most internationally celebrated artists. She was recently the subject of a major retrospective at London's Tate Modern, which saw over 100,000 visitors."

"Made in the final years of the artist's life, the work exemplifies Kngwarray's unique visual language. Executed at the remote Delmore Downs near Utopia homelands, it speaks to the landscape and ceremonial practices that shaped the artist's creative vision and understanding of the world around her."

Australian Indigenous art has gained significant international recognition, with D Lan Galleries playing a central role in this expansion through exhibitions and art fair presentations. The Melbourne-based gallery, with a New York location, is participating in TEFAF Maastricht 2026 for the second time, presenting 13 masterworks spanning from the 1970s to today. Their inaugural 2025 participation marked the first time Australian First Nations art appeared at TEFAF Maastricht, achieving nearly $1.4 million in sales. Featured artists include Emily Kam Kngwarray, whose 1995 work exemplifies her unique visual language rooted in Utopia homelands' landscape and ceremonial practices. Kngwarray recently had a major retrospective at London's Tate Modern attracting over 100,000 visitors.

Read at Artnet News