Entertainment
26 July, 2024
Iconic CIAF to wow crowds
THE 15th Cairns Indigenous Art Fair is finally back in all its deadly glory, with over 20 events until Sunday, over 700 artworks exhibited, over 40 stalls in its art market, and lots of entertainment. It is set to be CIAF at its greatest.
Kicking off with an exciting opening night party, the launch of the Country Speaking exhibition which features over 600 artworks from First Nations artists across Queensland and the highly anticipated ‘Light the Fire’ fashion show, the biggest Indigenous art fair has started with a bang and there’s plenty more in store.
CIAF’s artistic director Francoise Lane said it was the biggest CIAF ever.
“This year CIAF celebrates its 15th year anniversary. We started off from very humble beginnings at the Tanks Arts Centre in tanks 3 and 4 and today we have grown to an art fair and art market that fills the Cairns Convention Centre,” she said.
“In the art fair alone we have more than 700 artworks, it’s the biggest coming together of artworks from across the state that CIAF has ever seen.
“At the art fair we have artists from Cairns, Yarrabah, Badu Island in the Torres Straits, across to Mornington Island. We also have independent artists from southeast Queensland, Brisbane and the Gold Coast and we’re excited to have 11 independent and emerging artists who are yet to be discovered.
“We have our fashion show, which is one of our most popular items and it’s been sold out two years in a row. We also have the symposium which brings together some of the leading First Nations academics and thinkers, like Dr Jilda Andrews and Dr Daniele Hromek.
“We have our 15th anniversary exhibition called ‘Not Selling Cakes’, which brings together nominations by 15 of Queensland’s art and cultural leaders who have played a pivotal role in bringing CIAF to where it is today.”
The opening night on Thursday kicked off CIAF in style with art awards, live entertainment from The Pad Boys and the first round of the fashion show but there’s still lots more in store, with the arts market, weaving and ceramic workshops, the symposium, live music and dance performances and artist talks. There’s plenty to keep people busy throughout the weekend.
One of the highlights are the art markets, which have also reached new heights this year. Having been the pivotal event that started off CIAF, it has now grown to a full-fledged display of First Nations talent with over 40 stalls exhibiting the works of seasoned artists like Susan Reys better known for her ceramic work.
For CIAF’s full program, visit https://bit.ly/4bR8v8A
