it's not just all about dots!
You will be amazed to see the wide range of different expression adopted by our Indigenous artists. In our gallery we see many people who previously had no interest in Aboriginal Art, and who have their 'eyes opened' to it for the first time, by the sheer beauty and diversity around them.
At the top end, we stock highly collectible Aboriginal artworks from recognised master artists, ranging from the famous Clifford Possum, to the extraordinary Kudditji Kngwarreye with his Rothko-like colour fields (see image below), his sister Emily Kngwarreye, perhaps the greatest genius of the genre, the unique colour variations of Makinti Napanangka in her women's hair skirt ceremony paintings and many, many more.
To see a list of the artists we stock, simply visit find Art by Artist on the upper left hand side of any page on this website, and the (very long) list will appear. If you are new to indigenous art, or are looking for a painting for your home or business, you may find that the advanced Aboriginal Art search link, just above it, is more useful. There you can select artworks by price, colour, size, shape, region, style, and many other search criteria.
When you find a work you like, simply add it to your wish list to print out later or to send in to us to have ready for your visit.
Kudditji Kngwarreye, 'My Country' 152 x 184 cms
our aesthetic is very contemporary - 'wow factor!'
The majority of our Indigenous artworks use ancient iconography and embody traditional Aboriginal dreamings passed down for thousands of years through Australia's indigenous culture.
For example, the painting above by Kudditji Kngwarreye, has a highly contemporary abstract feel, yet is about the Emu Ancestors back in the creation time, moving across the lands of Kudditji's home in Utopia (250 kms NE of Alice Springs) and creating the sacred places, the hills, valleys and rivers etc.
It is hard for westerners to understand or connect that story with Kudditji's paintings, because the spirituality of the Aboriginal people is so different from ours. Nevertheless, there is a level at which we do subconsciously respond to Aboriginal art - there is definitely an extra dimension there which connects with people of western cultures.
And, purely as works of art, these paintings are superb, and can hold their place in any gallery in the world, with or without the stories behind them.
This is what the Kate Owen Aboriginal Art Gallery is all about: sourcing the most exciting, yet authentic, contemporary Aboriginal art, and selecting paintings which can stand alone as 'GOOD works of art', and which can shine in any company!
Kate Owen Gallery's highest goal is to see Aboriginal Artwork in as many homes and workplaces as possible, so that the respect for and interest in the Aboriginal people, that is engendered by such wonderful paintings, can be a continuing force for reconciliation and understanding.
our emerging artists are exciting - and great buys
For the more speculative buyer or simply for lovers of beautiful art, our newly established and emerging Aboriginal artists, including those from remote Aboriginal Community Art Centres, are a source of spiritual energy as well as brilliant images with a wealth of variety in colour, texture, subject matter and technique.
Like any good gallery, we select those with an individual 'voice', even at the early stages of their painting career - artists we believe have potential to grow and develop artistically.
we welcome first time art buyers
We respect individual people's motives in buying art. Not everyone buys art for investment or for the artist's name. If you simply want a piece that will please you, or give that 'wow factor' to your interior space, that's fine by us, and we are confident you will find it at our gallery.
We have an extensive stock of small, medium and large sized Indigenous paintings, a huge range of styles and colours, and prices which can satisfy the needs of home makers and interior designers.
Our friendly, helpful staff is there to give their time to answer your questions, share their knowledge, and help you find the artists that you most respond to.
take our paintings home 'on approval'
We even encourage you to take a painting (or two) home for few days, obligation free, to see how you like it in your own space (if it is too large for your car, we will even deliver it to you free of charge if you are in Sydney metropolitan area). A painting can often seem different at home from how it looks in the gallery. When you do buy a work from us, we want you to be 100% happy with the purchase - and of course if you are not, we will exchange it happily.
investigate our corporate works
Australian companies can do their bit to place magnificent Aboriginal Artworks in the public eye. We have many large and powerful pieces of Aboriginal art perfectly suited to corporations, foyers, board rooms and public areas - many are over 3 x 2 metres in size.
It definitely says something positive about your business if you display these fine Aboriginal paintings in your building, and as many of them are rare and painted by respected elders, they are likely to be a good investment at the same time.
financial assistance for buyers
Although our corporate and domestic Aboriginal artworks are very reasonably priced, we are happy to discuss purchase arrangements to suit our clients. We can offer lay by on most artworks, and can usually provide interest free terms for amounts between $500 and $20,000. Just ask our friendly staff about what might suit you.
when all else fails, we commission
In addition to our stock of around 1800 artworks at any one time, we are frequently able to source or even commission works to meet your particular needs. For example, if you love Lily Kelly's work, but would like one on a deep red ochre background, that could take you quite a while to find. Instead, we will commission her to paint it for you.
integrity, provenance and authenticity
Kate Owen Gallery is a proud member of Art Trade (The Australian Indigenous Art Trade Association). As such, we uphold that organisation's Code of Conduct. Our gallery was one of the first signatories to the new Indigenous Art Code, and we are working with others in the industry to ensure this code is implemented as fully as possible throughout the industry.
To every buyer of paintings over $250 in value, we provide a Certificate of Authenticity and artist biography. Most works come with at least a photograph of the artist with the work, and in the majority of cases (with medium to large artworks), there are a number of work in progress photographs taken with the artist, at different stages of the painting.
We are currently encouraging, and in some cases offer with a painting, 'start to finish videos' of artists doing their paintings, and we will be increasingly offering these to our clients, along with the other documentation, as an irrefutable guarantee of authenticity.
The purpose of this is simply to protect the artists and the works they sell from those who would undermine the industry and at times, even the artists themselves.
We are an apolitical gallery which, above all, honours the right of artists everywhere to create their works where and how they wish. We respect and uphold their right to work in their community or to sell their works on the open market - as they choose. We hold only that as this fundamental freedom is respected, ethical behaviour is maintained by all parties involved.
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