Investing In Aboriginal Art

“Sotheby’s sales on Tuesday provide the most cogent proof that the art market has lost none of its irrepressible vigour.”
International Herald Tribune

In a time when the world could be considered to be experiencing financial turbulence and economic uncertainty, investment in fine art, including Australian indigenous art is still holding its own. By way of interest, The Australian National Gallery in Canberra paid a record $2.4 mil for a Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri painting at a Sotheby’s Sydney auction, that had originally sold for only $1,200 exactly 30 years earlier! That’s a staggering 200,000% profit. Whilst an Emily Kngwarreye painting that had previously fetched just over $1,000,000 at auction sold for twice that amount last year!

 

One advantage of investing in Aboriginal fine art is that you can appreciate the aesthetic value of the work whilst the painting itself potentially appreciates in financial value. However, we should point out that we are not qualified as investment or financial advisers — just lovers of indigenous art with some lateral suggestions on how you could supplement your investment portfolio. We should also point out [rather obviously] that you don’t need an investment portfolio to appreciate aboriginal art — just a blank wall and a comfy chair will do.