Leading with Education, defined by Connoisseurship, and reinforced through Scholarship – our three gallery locations are now firmly established internationally in Melbourne, Sydney and New York. Alongside our increased participation in international art Fairs, and continued collaborations with international galleries, the last 12-18 months have seen a dramatic shift in international recognition of and appreciation for Australian First Nations art.

There can be no doubt.

This year we made the clear decision to run our major annual exhibition – SIGNIFICANT – across all three of our venues in Melbourne, Sydney and New York. And with a sales total of AUD$5,273,600 million (~USD$3,076,00) it proved to be the right call.

Maintaining an international presence in the wake of the huge loss of Tim Klingender is a responsibility that we take very seriously.

In line with all the international auction houses, we have also seen a marked increase in Private Sales. And so, we are investing into this important segment of the market moving forward, with newly appointed private offices at Kings Arcade, Armadale – which is where it all began!

Being a centrepiece of the gallery’s mission – we lead through education via external talks and panel discussions. This past year, in addition to our own gallery talks programme, it was an honour to host and participate in several remarkable events with many distinguished guest speakers; at Asia Society in New York, Pace Gallery in London, AAA (American Australian Association) in New York and Frieze Masters, London. These talks and events are a vital part of our role in encouraging discourse and further educating audiences, and the marketplace.

Finally, during this past year, we have seen the extraordinary rise in visibility through institutional and museum exhibitions playing a significant role internationally. From the impressive new Oceanic Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to Emily’s retrospective at Tate Modern in London, and the National Gallery of Art’s major overview at Washington’s National Gallery of Art – all have played a part in dramatically reshaping the international landscape for the greatest First Nations artists of Australia.

AUCTIONS

As predicted in our mid-year report, we have seen a marked increase in auction activity for Australian First Nations art. And with the results now in – as reported by AASD – auction sales for Australian First Nations Art have dramatically increased to AUD $17,992,000 (up from AUD $13,483,000 in 2024).

Australian Auction Results

• Deutscher + Hackett, Melbourne: AUD $4,222,309 (inc. BP) March 2025
• Art Leven, Sydney: AUD $1,155,355 (inc. BP) June 2025 + $772,630 (inc. BP) in November 2025 – a combined total of AUD $1,927,985 (inc. BP)
• Bonhams, Sydney: The Sarick Collection of Aboriginal Art; Important Australian Art – AUD $2,078,762 (inc. BP)

These dramatic improvements are led by a much more positive sentiment across the entire market – but there can be no doubt about the major influence of the energised international market.

International Auction Results

Sotheby’s, New York: USD $884,936 (inc. BP) (~AUD $1.35 million) May 2025.

It is important to note that I am told that the significant work by Emily sold immediately post-auction for USD $550,000 (hammer). If that result had been published, the outcome of this sale would have presented much more positively.

SHORTY LUNGKATA TJUNGURRAYI | Two Roads: Tingarri and Kangaroo Dreaming at Tjukulanya 1973 | Sold by D’Lan Contemporary for AUD $550,000

D’LAN CONTEMPORARY

We began 2025 with three gallery spaces firmly established – in Melbourne, Sydney and New York – and our international exhibition and events programme, combined with participation in Australian and international Art Fairs, and a new collaborative partnership with Pace collectively enabled us to reach and connect with far broader audiences than ever before.

The success of the collaborative exhibition, Emily Kam Kngwarray: My Country, with Pace – and in particular, the wonderful relationships formed with their team as part of this – was one of the many highlights of this past year. We look forward to announcing our next collaboration with Pace soon – so stay tuned!

I am pleased to report that our overall annual sales for 2025 once again totalled almost AUD $30,000,000 (~USD$20,077 ,500) and U.S. gallery sales AUD $7,000,000(~USD$4 ,684 ,750).

This is particularly pleasing, considering the broader art market environment – as widely reported internationally. I relate our success and resilience to the fact that this market has been through tough trading conditions from the beginning – it’s always been tough. But the broader contemporary market has had it easy for some time.

But with the tremendous results recently recorded by both Sotheby’s and Christie’s at their Modern and Contemporary auctions in New York, combined with the very recent positive economic growth news coming out of America, I have predicted much stronger trading momentum leading into 2026. And we are definitely seeing that now.

SIGNIFICANT 2025

As mentioned previously, the 2025 edition of this annual exhibition was presented internationally for the first time this year.

Sold highlights included works by early masters Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi, Timmy Payungka Tjapangati, Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri and George Jomeri. We were also honoured to facilitate the sale of the monumental Bentinck Island Women’s Collaborative, Sweers Island and Two Roads by Shorty Lungkata Tjungurrayi to major institutions, as well as the sale of works by Emily Kam Kngwarray, Eubena Nampitjin, Rover Thomas Joolama, Paddy Bedford, Bill Whiskey, Patrick Tjungurrayi, Sally Gabori and Daniel Walbidi among many others.

This new format resulted in a sales total of AUD$5,273,600 million (~USD$3,076,000), and we are pleased to share that the 2026 edition will also be presented across all three of our galleries.

REVERENCE 2025

Like SIGNIFICANT, REVERENCE has been a part of our annual exhibition calendar since the gallery was first established.

This year’s edition featured works from the 1950s through to the present day including rare, early and modern pieces by Enraeld Djulabinyanna Munkara, Anatjari Tjakamarra, Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa, Rover Thomas Joolama and Paddy Bedford alongside contemporary works by Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, Emily Kam Kngwarray, Ginger Riley Munduwalawala, Freddie Timms, Angelina Pwerle, Gunybi Ganambarr, Christine Yukenbarri, and Daniel Walbidi among many others.

ART FAIRS

Our strategic, increased participation in art fairs is integral to our mission – to raise awareness of, and appreciation for Australian First Nations art.

Melbourne Art Fair
In what was our second year at Melbourne Art Fair, we collaborated with celebrated Tiwi artist, Timothy Cook and Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association to present Japarra amantiya Japilinga: Moon and Stars – which featured recent paintings by Timothy on bark, linen, and carved tutuni poles.Timothy’s work was embraced by Melbourne audiences and the exhibition – the concept for which was developed almost a year earlier on a visit to Jilamara Arts by D’Lan Contemporary Head of Research, Vanessa Merlino and Director, Luke Scholes – was a great success with majority works sold during the Fair.

TEFAF Maastricht
Our inaugural presentation at the prestigious TEFAF Maastricht comprised a curated selection of exceptional works, spanning the 1960s through to the present day, and was the first exhibition of Australian First Nations art at the Fair.

Overall sales totalled USD$1.4 million (~AUD$ 2 million) with highlights including a pivotal work by Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri, Wallaby Sign for Men and Women 1972 which sold for USD$350,000 and Mendoowoorrji – Medicine Pocket 2004 by Paddy Bedford, which sold for USD$280,000 at the Fair.

I am pleased to excitedly confirm that we will return to Maastricht this March 2026.

D’Lan Contemporary | TEFAF Maastricht 2025 | Photo: Michael Adair

Sydney Contemporary

Our 2025 exhibition at Sydney Contemporary celebrated the work of leading Top End and Tiwi Island artists – Nyapanyapa Yunupiŋu, Midpul (Prince of Wales) and Kitty Kantilla – alongside rising stars, Rerrkirrwaŋa Munuŋgurr and Jane Margaret Tipuamantumirri.

Pleasingly, over 70% of what we had to offer at this year’s edition of the Fair sold.

D’Lan Contemporary | Frieze Masters 2025 | Photo: Dan Weill

FRIEZE MASTERS

We returned to Frieze Masters for our third consecutive year in 2025, with a presentation of paintings by two leading Western Desert artists, Makinti Napanangka and Naata Nungurrayi.

A new record was set for each of these artists with Untitled – Lupulnga 2008 by Makinti Napanangka and Untitled – Marrapinti 2006 by Naata Nungurrayi, each selling for AUD$280,000 (USD$182,000).

In total, eight of eleven works sold for a total of AUD$1,200,000 (~USD$780,000).

The engagement with First Nations art – buoyed in no small part by Emily’s major retrospective which was on view at Tate Modern – reflected a significant shift in visibility and awareness which was further enhanced – in 2025 – by presentations by two other galleries during Frieze Week: with recent works by Tony Albert and Naminapu Maymuru-White at Sullivan+Strumpf, and a solo exhibition by Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori in a joint presentation by Salon 94 and Karma.

We look forward to returning to Frieze Masters in 2026.

MUSEUM ACQUISITIONS

The relationships we have fostered with museums and institutions – both in Australia, and internationally – is another important element of our activity as a gallery. Sourcing major works by leading First Nations artists for​ placement in institutions helps address long-standing absences in many of these collections and – in addition to providing increased visibility – ensures Indigenous art is elevated to its rightful place, alongside other international masters of global art history.In 2025, we were proud to ​f​acilitate the acquisition of several exceptional works of art by ​this country’s leading First Nations artists ​to some of the world’s most renowned institutions including a significant painting by Emily Kam Kngwarray to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, a Rover Thomas to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, a Pepai Jangala Carroll to The Smithsonian and, the culturally significant and monumental Bentinck Island Women’s Collaborative, Sweers Island to the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

Collectively, these sales totalled AUD $2,188,820 (~USD$1,457, 010), signalling another critical step in recognition of the cultural and artistic importance of these works of art.

Bentinck Island Women’s Collaborative,​ Sweers Island 2008 | Sold for AUD$600,000 by D’Lan Contemporary to the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

MUSEUMS + INSTITITIONS

2025 was unprecedented in the number of national and international exhibitions highlighting and celebrating Australian First Nations art.

The new Oceanic Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in May, attended by hundreds on what was a spectacular opening night. Back in Australia, The Ian Potter Museum’s 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art – which also opened in May – celebrated the brilliance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.

In July, Emily Kam Kngwarray’s major retrospective opened at Tate Modern, London to critical acclaim and huge visitor numbers.

And in November, The Stars We Do Not See belatedly opened at The National Gallery of Art, Washington. Drawn exclusively from the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the exhibition – which is the largest international exhibition of its kind – features numerous masterpieces that have previously never been seen outside of Australia.

The impact of this shift in exhibition programming cannot be understated in terms of global recognition, understanding and appreciation, which in turn impacts the landscape of the market, but also of course, primarily, the experience of living artists and their communities.

PROFIT SHARING + CONTRIBUTIONS (AUD$)

In 2025, profit-sharing, voluntary initiatives and legislated copyright and resale royalty fee contributions – which form an integral part of our activity as a gallery – totalled AUD $639,438.70.

Community Contributions / Initiatives: $257,574.13
Resale Royalty Fees: $318,771.20 (voluntary and mandatory)
Copyright Fees: $63,093.37

As part of our ongoing commitment to give 30% of our net profits to artist and community initiatives​, we are pleased to report that we contributed $50,000 from the proceeds of the sale of the major Mornington Island Women’s collaborative work sold to the National Gallery of Australia​, to support the annual Mornington Island Arts Festival in 2026. What was most pleasing was that this was an equal contribution made between all parties involved – the vendor / D’​Lan Contemporary / Community.

Such a fulfilling outcome genuinely makes what we do all the more important and rewarding.

Once again, we thank you for your interest and support during what has been another incredible year of growth – in awareness and appreciation of Australian First nations art, for the market, and for us as a gallery.

For us, 2026 will begin with the presentation of the first international solo exhibition of Makinti Napanangka in New York, and two solo presentations – at Melbourne Art Fair and subsequently, at our flagship Melbourne gallery – of recent paintings by celebrated artist, Janet Koongotema.

Finally, excitingly – and in line with our continued growth – we are in the process of a brand refresh which will reflect the global gallery we have now become, and to which we owe the greatest respects to our tremendous team who, through their dedication and passion, have helped build the company to what it is today.

D’Lan Davidson