BUYING INDIGENOUS ART, ETHICALLY

Supporting First Nations artists is a beautiful way to celebrate and show respect for the world’s oldest living culture. But purchasing artwork from unethical operators can be damaging to both the industry and the livelihood of Aboriginal artists.

Leah Paige Bennet of Leah Paige Designs is a Western Australian designer who creates spaces, textiles and furniture inspired by her Indigenous heritage. She is a proud Wudjari Noongar woman with family ties to the Ravensthorpe region and is on a mission to showcase the complexity of her culture in ways that are ethical and aesthetic.

“Every time an Aboriginal artist paints, they are putting a piece of themselves into the work, along with over 65,000 years of culture and knowledge,” explains Leah. “It is not just about respecting the time, energy and effort that goes into the work, but also respecting the significance of the knowledge being shared.”

Leah offers this advice on buying Indigenous art:

1. Research the artist and what their work represents. It’s important to know an artwork’s provenance or source.

2. Buy artwork that is meaningful to the Country that you are on.

3. Respect the price of original Indigenous art and avoid purchasing cheap, mass-produced prints that misappropriate First Nations culture.

4. Ask questions. A gallery that is operating respectfully will be transparent about its relationship with an artist.

Also find out if the dealer or gallery is a signatory of the Indigenous Art Code, which was created to ensure the ethical conduct of art dealers and fair treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Visit indigenousartcode.org to learn more. For more about Leah, visit leahpaigedesigns.com