Welcome to Pandanus Aboriginal Art Gallery

We are delighted to represent many hundreds of Aboriginal artists from all over this beautiful country. These works include paintings, carvings, limited edition prints and by some of the most acclaimed artists within the contemporary Aboriginal Art movement, and authentic historical artifacts.

What you will see on this website represents the stock presented by our gallery which is located in the Australian tropical paradise of Palm Cove, in Far North Queensland. It is an exciting window on the huge range and variety of art produced by Aboriginal people across the country.

The modern Aboriginal Art movement began quietly in Papunya, west of Alice Springs in 1971. A young school teacher, Geoffrey Bardon, trying to interest his class in displaying Aboriginal symbols, instead aroused the interest of two senior law men Billy Stockman and Clifford Possum to paint one of their ‘Dreaming ‘ stories on the outside wall of the school. “Honey Ant Dreaming’ was the first formal work of the contemporary movement that today is internationally acknowledged as one of the most significant developments in art in the modern world.

Aboriginal people traditionally lived in small clans throughout the continent, often speaking different languages/dialects from clans not so far apart. As relatives, they did have differences but shared a great deal in traditional beliefs and customs. Related to this, as the Aboriginal Art movement has grown, distinctly different styles in their art have emerged, reflecting geographic, language and cultural variations across vast regional areas.

Aboriginal Art is the depiction of ancient stories with their foundation in the very origins of civilisation as the Aboriginal people saw it – based almost universally on the central role of Creation in their ancestry and contemporary lives.

Desert Art, from the central and western deserts is generally abstract depicting the simple motives used in ‘drawing’ on the ground, for sacred ceremony, or to pass on the knowledge to hunt animals, to ‘map’ or understand different terrains and many other intricate aspects of life necessary for surviving in this harsh environment.

Modern Aboriginal Art is mostly painted on canvas or linen but there are paintings and limited edition prints on paper, carvings, weavings using spinifex or dried pandanus leaves, as well as traditional paintings on bark. Contemporary pieces include fabrics, jewellery, and photography.

Welcome to this Online window into an exciting body of acknowledged high quality artworks from across Australia and feel free to contact us if you have a question or wish to discuss anything. Details of our Provenance, Sales, Returns & Shipping policies are listed on this site.