FIRST NATIONS FINE ART AUCTION

We are delighted to welcome you to Art Leven’s First Nations Fine Art Auction, held in our Redfern gallery on 18 November 2025. This marks an important step forward for Australian auctions, introducing two pioneering models, Priority Bidding and the Hybrid Auction model designed to make collecting fairer, more flexible, and more connected than ever before.

 

Priority Bidding rewards early engagement, offering collectors a reduced buyer’s premium of 15%(normally 25%) when leaving a binding absentee bid at least 48 hours before the auction. Inspired by the recent Phillips model in New York, it promotes a more equitable and efficient collecting experience.

 

Our Hybrid Auction Model merges the accessibility of online participation with the excitement of a live sale. Conducted in real time from Redfern, all bidding takes place remotely via phone, absentee, or online, ensuring collectors across Australia and beyond can participate without geographical barriers.

 

Reflecting shifts in the international market, this season’s auction focuses on timeless works of cultural and aesthetic significance. Highlights include Rover Joolama Thomas’ Bow River Station(Lot 4) and Yillimbiddi Country (Lot 36), Alma Webou Kalaju’s monumental Pinkalarta(Lot 49), and Dorothy Napangardi’s Karntakurlangu(Lot 39).
 

A major feature is the strong selection of bark paintings (Lots 21–33, 57–68), celebrating the extraordinary diversity of Australia’s Top End and the renewed global appreciation for this important art medium.

 

We invite you to join us for our extended viewing and to experience, firsthand, the future of collecting with Priority Bidding and the Hybrid Auction.

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Read full introduction here