One of the hottest areas of the contemporary art scene in Australia today is Australian Aboriginal art, which is becoming an increasingly attractive option for many investors. The Aboriginal art market has attracted increasing international attention in recent years, and has experienced exceptional growth which appears set to maintain pace in the medium term. Aboriginal art considerably outsells non-indigenous Australian art at auction and has gained significant international standing. It is critical that investors are well informed before entering the Aboriginal art market, however, not only to ensure that investments are made in quality work by quality artists, but also to guarantee the provenance and authenticity of the work.
Australian Aboriginal art has generally proved to be a solid investment over time. Work by important Aboriginal artists has increased in value markedly over the past 30 years, with individual works fetching prices as high $350,000 at international auction. Prudent investors who have developed good relationships with specialist galleries can derive great pleasure from collecting the art of the world’s oldest living indigenous culture, and...