ABOUT

We represent vibrant, independent artists from the Utopia region; a large remote area of Central Australia which, until recently, had no government funded art centre.

Since the establishment of their movement in the 1980's, first with batik and then painting, they have paved the way for other Aboriginal artists, especially females, setting milestones for awards and achievements, and creating the foundation for wide-spread styles such as the leaf paintings.

As a result of their pioneering efforts, they have one of the strongest and richest art histories and are responsible for some of Australia's most dynamic visual art.

Learn more about our artists

Shipped from Melbourne

While the art is made in Central Australia, all paintings are carefully stored and shipped from Melbourne.

We no longer offer appointments to view the art in our showroom - a decision we reluctantly made during the pandemic, but this just means we have everything wrapped and ready to send to you!

Rest assured, we have a full refund policy. So should your new painting not suit your space, you can return it no questions asked.

Our Gallerist + Senior Curator

Dale has worked professionally with Utopia artists for over 20 years and, on a personal level, has known the people there since she was a child, some of whom she considers grandmothers, aunties and sisters. They share a deep bond, familiarity and trust, and Dale finds herself fiercely protective of them; their creative vision, their individual stories and their right to earn an income independent of their community.

Dale has given dozens of talks on Aboriginal art, accompanied artists to meet (then) HRH Prince Charles, given a private tour to the US Ambassador, been invited to write books on the art, and, at one time, was secretary for Art Trade; Australia's first Aboriginal art body.

Ethical Trading

Without our ethical practices, we simply wouldn't be here.

Utopia artists have been working independently since the 1980's and we are fortunate to be among those they choose to work with over and over again.

Ethical trading is so much more than what you pay for an artwork or being a signatory to a code, and extends to ethical selling as well. So we've gone into the nitty gritty details for you below.

Ethical trading

We love that so many of our customers want to make sure that we work ethically with our artists and are concerned about ethics on an industry level. Ethical trading is our number one priority. Without it we simply wouldn't be here.

Ethical trading is difficult to govern, and unfortunately a signatory such as the Code can be exploited. We have chosen at this point not to be associated with a code, but rather to provide evidence of our ethical trading publicly; through photos, content, exhibitions and information that will help answer your questions or concerns. It really is up to you to decide how you feel about working with a gallery or art centre, and whether they meet your ethical needs.

When we purchase from artists directly, all prices are discussed and agreed upon in advance. When we work with new artists, we complete an induction program to get to know each other and discuss the system before any work begins.

On the occasion when we source art from other galleries or suppliers - they are from those we believe to be reputable and ethical only; those who get our artists' tick of approval.

Artists also know our boundaries which helps protect us too; we don't provide loans or advances, we pay via bank deposit or cheque only - never with physical cash nor other items (eg tobacco, cars, power cards, etc as much as we get asked), we do provide all canvas and paints free of charge - this helps us maintain quality of materials.

Artists are paid up front, on completion of every artwork.

This has always been the system between us and our artists, and should be the gold standard for desert artists. Consigning artworks, which is the mainstream art centre model, can put desert artists in a vulnerable position, and with language and cultural differences, that concept can be misunderstood.

Any purchase you make with us goes toward funding the next artwork and so on.

Because we buy artworks from our artists before selling, all of our paintings (over the $1000 threshold) are eligible artworks under the Australian Resale Royalty Scheme - because your purchase from us is considered a secondary sale.

This means that when you buy an artwork over $1000 from us, the artist will receive a resale royalty to the value of 5% of the sold price.

We love this model. Under many art centres models, or from gallerists who consign from artists, artists are not eligible for this because a primary sale has not yet taken place.

We pay royalties annually, as a lump sum collected throughout the year, and we like to celebrate with our artists when we do, with cake!

It is important for our customers to be treated ethically as well, and one way we like to do this is to do our best to document the authenticity of each artwork.

In an industry of ever changing standards, and not without its share of scandal, this is something we feel is important to have and to share with you.

We take photos of our artists holding their completed work, which is a practice that has been an industry standard since the early 1990's. What we love about these photos is that the artist has a chance to show their work to you in a gesture of passing it on. These photos also give evidence of an artwork's completed state by the artist which, in a wider context, means the artwork cannot be altered in the shadows by unscrupulous dealers or art centre staff.

As simple as it sounds though, it is not always possible in these desert-like conditions (phones and camera's run out of battery life, flies swarm, the sun is burning, or the photo turns out shadowy and blurry - and it may be months before we see the artist again) but we try our best!

We also like to take progress shots because it adds another layer of authenticity, and there is beauty and meaning in the process of creating the work. We appreciate seeing this so much that we think you will too.

We are actually known amongst our artists for taking lots of photos. Word gets around. Dale takes care to explain to our artists why we want this, how we intend to present them and always seeks permission. We have a lot of fun with it, and spending this time together is special.

One of the reasons you'll see mostly close ups of artists' hands on our site, rather than a full artist or studio photo, is to maximise their privacy and appease any apprehensions they may have about being photographed, whilst still being able to capture their work in progress.