Recognising excellence across Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts sector at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), the ninth CIAF Art Awards were revealed today. The Awards offered six major prizes this year and a total prize pool of $60,000.
With a judging panel comprising Jack Wilkie-Jans, Sebastian Goldspink and Rebecca Ray, the awards were informed by the festival’s 2025 theme Pay Attention! and a call for reflection, resistance and future-focused cultural storytelling, especially in the post 2023 Voice Referendum period.
The $25,000 major prize – the Premier’s Award for Excellence – was taken out by Bernard Singleton’s unmissable sculpture, Offering. Placed in a prominent position in the exhibition of this year’s works, the tall wood carving was selected by the judges for its ‘technical mastery, and robust response to CIAF’s theme’.
“The piece is rooted in Djabugay/Yirrgay knowledge, which speaks to Singleton’s upbringing and intergenerational storytelling,” said the panel in an official statement.
“The work highlights reciprocal responsibility and the crucial role that relationships play in caring for Country, for one another, our futures, and both the tangible and intangible aspects of the world. The Hairy Men (known by many names) have a presence across Singleton’s and Tropical North Queensland’s forests as protectors of Country, their associated and diverse Lore also connects knowledge from across First Nations Australia and globally.”
CIAF’s Artistic Director, Teho Ropeyarn offered his congratulations to all this year’s winners.
“These awards are not just about recognising great art,” said Ropeyarn. “They’re about honouring our ancestors, amplifying our voices, and ensuring that future generations can see their stories and sovereignty reflected on canvas, in sculpture, and across every form of creative expression.”
CIAF Art Awards: other winners
- The $10,000 Art Centre Award (Cairns Regional Council) was presented to Hopevale Arts and Culture Centre.
- Innovation Award (Terri Janke and Company, $10,000) – awarded to Alick Tipoti for Mawaw Danaka (2025).
- 3D Design, Sculpture and Installation Award (Ports North, $5000), awarded to Kyra Mancktelow (awarded for full body of work, represented by N. Smith Gallery).
- Emerging Art Award (Acquisitive) (Energy Queensland, $5000), awarded to Roy Gray (Bunda Art) for Syricarpia Gloulifera (Turpentine/Gulumbi) (2025), This work was created in collaboration with Jo Ann Beikoff ‘Milba’.
The final award, the People’s Choice Award (sponsored by Torres Strait Regional Authority, $5000) will be announced during CIAF’s closing ceremony on Sunday 13 July, following the close of public voting.
CIAF Art Awards: other events
Guided Art Fair Tours
Friday 11 July – 1pm & 5pm | Saturday 12 July – 1pm & 6pm | Sunday 13 July – 10am & 2pm
Free curator-led tours departing from the Info Booth on the Tanks Promenade.
Roving Exhibitor Artist Talks
Friday 11 July, 11am-5pm | Saturday 12 July, 11am-7pm | Sunday 13 July, 11am-2pm
Hourly artist talks and pop-up conversations at exhibitor booths in Tanks 3 &4
Cultural Art Demonstrations with Alick Tipoti
Friday to Sunday, 10am–1pm | Fig Tree (near Tank 4)
Live artmaking with master artist Alick Tipoti across three days
To find out more about CIAF 2025, visit www.ciaf.com.au.
The writer visited Cairns as a guest of CIAF.
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CIAF 2025 returns to the Tanks Arts Centre this week
Now in its mid teens, CIAF 2025 is well-established as a celebration of community, culture and creativity.
This year Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) has returned to its spiritual home, the Tanks Arts Centre in the Cairns suburb of Edge Hill, to roll out a reimagined program under the theme, ‘Pay Attention!’
Launching tomorrow (Thursday 10 July) and running until Sunday 13 July, CIAF 2025 will comprise over 400 First Nations artists in a program of visual and performing arts, plus fashion, talks, food, culture and community events.
Having restructured three years ago, the 15-year-old event is now firmly established as a “celebration of community, culture, and creativity on Country“. Keep reading…
