Dot by Dot: The Best Places to Buy Authentic Aboriginal Art in Australia

These aren’t just artworks. They’re stories. Maps. Echoes of land and legacy. Painted with purpose, Aboriginal dot art carries the voices of ancestors, the spirit of Country, and the pulse of the world’s oldest living culture.

Now, more than ever, it’s vital to seek out these works respectfully — by supporting Indigenous artists and buying through trusted channels. Whether you’re drawn to bold, contemporary canvases or traditional Dreamtime designs, each piece deserves to be bought with care, pride, and cultural mindfulness.

Here’s where to start — with galleries and shopfronts that honour both artist and ancestry.

Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF)

One of the most important events on Australia’s cultural calendar, DAAF brings together more than 70 Indigenous-owned art centres from across the country. Held on Larrakia Country, this vibrant fair celebrates the depth and diversity of First Nations art — from intricate dot paintings to woven works and sculpture. Every purchase directly supports the artist and their community. With both in-person and online access, it’s never been easier to connect with authentic Aboriginal art that carries powerful stories of Country and culture.

7th to 10th August, 2025

Darwin Convention Centre & Online

Art Ark

An online marketplace doing things right. Art Ark is all about ethically sourced artwork, where profits go directly to Aboriginal artists and their communities. You’ll find everything from traditional paintings to Arnhem Land weaving, with pandanus baskets dyed in bush colours that look like they’ve been plucked straight from Country. Don’t miss the artist profiles — deep dives into the challenges and triumphs of living, breathing storytellers like Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri.

Browse the collection online

Mbantua

In Alice Springs and online, Mbantua Gallery champions the Utopia region and Arnhem Land. Their dot paintings range in size and price, from collectable statement pieces to affordable gems. For something different, they’ve teamed up with Utopia Australia to create giftware using the artists’ designs — think tote bags and cooler bags with soul.

64 Todd Mall, Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Papunya Tjupi Arts

Papunya: the birthplace of the Western Desert art movement. Here, Tjupi Arts — a 100% Aboriginal-owned centre — supports more than 100 artists who live and work on Country. The works are electrifying, whether you’re there in person or buying online. It’s the real deal, from a place where painting is lifeblood.

For more artwork from the same region, Papunya Tula Artists has a beautiful collection of artwork for sale. 

PMB 101 via Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Japingka Aboriginal Art

Housed in Fremantle’s old police station, Japingka Aboriginal Art Gallery is as iconic as it is inspiring. With over 4,500 artworks in stock and artists like George Ward Tjungurrayi on the books, this is a place where dot paintings come with depth and backstory. Their online resources on symbolism and culture are also gold.

47 High Street, Fremantle, Western Australia

Nardurna

Bright, bold, and beautifully modern — Nardurna is the creative alias of Ryhia Dank, a Gudanji/Wakaja woman and graphic artist whose contemporary dot work is making serious waves. Her digital and physical works speak to three stories: place, family, and belonging, reimagined through vibrant palettes and minimal forms. While steeped in cultural tradition, her pieces feel fresh, graphic and completely now. Nardurna means ‘woman’ in Gudanji, and Ryhia’s voice is as powerful as her brush. Art with punch, purpose, and unmistakable perspective.

Browse collection online

Bluethumb

Australia’s largest online art marketplace, Bluethumb is a sleek, easy-to-navigate platform where you can buy directly from Indigenous artists, with filters galore to help you find the perfect piece. Ideal for the design-conscious who still want to buy consciously.

Browse the collection online

Kate Owen Gallery

Over three soaring floors in Sydney’s Rozelle, this gallery is a showstopper. Kate Owen Gallery hosts major exhibitions, supports emerging talent, and works closely with artists from Central Australia, the Kimberley and Top End. Their inner workings include a dedicated Indigenous art studio in Alice Springs, which means every piece has authenticity at its core.

680 Darling Street, Rozelle, NSW

Artbank

Why buy when you can rent? Artbank is a unique government initiative that acquires and leases over 10,000 works of contemporary Australian art — including Aboriginal works — to businesses and individuals. It’s a clever way to get high-quality, meaningful art into everyday spaces while supporting the artists behind it.

Artbank is located in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (or browse online)

Daisy in Dots

Aboriginal art with a gentle, modern spirit. Daisy Hill’s work is grounded in her Yugambeh Country roots and speaks to saltwater, sunlight, and self. Her intuitive dot art features calming palettes and intimate storytelling — earthy, soulful, and made for contemporary homes.

Browse the collection online

Otis Hope Carey

Surfer. Artist. Cultural provocateur. Otis Hope Carey brings a modern edge to Aboriginal dot art, blending Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung symbolism with a cool, stripped-back aesthetic. His works radiate with purpose — often sparking conversations around culture and mental health. Fierce, bold, unforgettable.

Browse the collection online here.

Freestone Art

Based in Awabakal Country (Newcastle), Lauren of Freestone Art is the next generation of dot painters, blending Wiradjuri and Gumbaynggirr roots into every earthy stroke. Her work feels grounded yet ethereal — a beautiful balance of personal story and inherited memory. If you hang a Freestone on your wall, you’re hanging heritage.

Browse the collection online

*Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this article may contain references to people who have passed away.

To bring Aboriginal art into your home is to welcome culture, country and story into your space. Choose it with care. Know who painted it. Know where it comes from. And let it be more than decoration — let it be connection. Want to inject more style into the rest of your home? For more artistic inspiration, check out these home decor ideas and our tips to give your home an Insta-feel.