Where to see Aboriginal art in Sydney

Australia’s oldest Indigenous-focused fine art gallery (Cooee Art) is now known as Art Leven, ushering in a new era for the gallery under the stewardship of long-term owner and director Mirri Leven. Although the gallery remains focused on First Nations art, in this new chapter as Art Leven, the gallery will exhibit non-Indigenous artists alongside First Nations artists, through specially curated individual projects.

Under the direction of long-time Indigenous art specialist Gabriella Roy, this gallery has been in operation since 1996 and shows traditional and contemporary Aboriginal works from the Tiwi Islands and prominent community art centres in South Australia, Central and Northern Australia. 

In March 2018, the APY Art Centre Collective opened this artist owned gallery in Darlinghurst, making it the first of its kind in Australia. The gallery has a focus on ensuring emerging artists are connected with new and broader audiences, and showcases work from the APY lands across a broad range of practices including painting, traditional punu (wood) carving, weaving, textiles, new media and digital photography.

Whether you've got $200 or several hundred thousand dollars to drop on an artwork, you'll find something to your taste at this large commercial gallery – and staff ready to help you navigate your way through the world of Aboriginal art. But even if you're not in the market to buy, the Kate Owen Gallery is a great gallery to visit, with around 100 paintings on its many walls at any one time.

This not-for-profit cooperative was formed in 1987 by a group of local artists, including Michael Riley, Brenda L Croft, Tracey Moffatt and Bronwyn Bancroft. Reacting against the media’s fetish for ‘traditional’ or ‘authentic’ art, Boomalli spearheaded the urban Indigenous art movement in Australia. They continue to showcase work by founding members, emerging artists, and from Greater Sydney and regional NSW.

Christopher Hodge's gallery, established in 1989 when "contemporary Aboriginal art" was a relatively new concept for the art world, shows both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, but it's named after the Utopia community in the Northern Territory. The UAS stable includes major Utopia artists like Gloria Petyarre and the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye.

Public art – in any city – is a notoriously fraught business. No matter how hard you try to make everyone happy, every work will have its detractors – but Sydney has some seriously awe inspiring works to discover. Including Bara (pictured), the impressive sculpture overlooking Bennelong Point and Circular Quay, honouring the multifaceted living history of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.