The beauty of Indigenous art is its creators' deep connection to the land, community and Indigenous culture, and the way these elements are reflected in artworks using traditional Indigenous painting techniques. Here you’ll discover 10 talented young First Nation artists (such as Hayley Pearson, whose work is featured above) and their beautiful Indigenous art, plus find out how you can support them and their amazing works.
Alkina Edwards
Alkina Edwards' creations feature shades of soft pink and earthy browns, as well as pops of beautiful florals and native greenery. Based on Yorta Yorta country in Echuca in Victoria, Alkina works with paint and digital techniques to create stunning canvas artworks, and you’ll also find her artistic talents on phone cases, as tech wallpapers, and even as tattoos.
Discover more of Alkina’s work via Instagram at @alkinacreations and Facebook at AlkinasCreations.
Hayley Pearson
Based in Broome in Western Australia, young Bardi Jawi contemporary artist Hayley Pearson focuses on Indigenous dot art. Her canvas paintings feature a mix of bright rainbow colours, pastel hues and earthy tones, and each painting tells a story about life or the land we walk on.
Hayley’s artwork is available for commission via Instagram at @hayleypearsonart and Facebook at Hayley Pearson Artwork.
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BJ O'Toole
Wadawurrung artist BJ (Billy-Jay) O'Toole works with a colour palette of vibrant greens, blues, reds and browns, and features birds and other elements of nature in every piece. You’ll find BJ’s work on cricket uniforms, office buildings and in shopping centres around Geelong, and on water fountains at Deakin University’s Geelong Waurn Ponds and Geelong Waterfront campuses.
You can commission or purchase originals or prints of BJ’s work via his Instagram at @papul_art and Facebook at Papul art.
Steven Bekue
Steven Bekue is a Bundjalung and Bidjara man and the Indigenous artist behind Bundjalung Dreaming. Along with canvas paintings, Steven’s designs have also been used on fabrics for office and school furniture to give students an awareness and appreciation of Indigenous culture.
You can support Steven by purchasing or commissioning his Indigenous artwork via his Instagram at @bundjalung_dreaming or on Facebook at Bundjalung Dreaming.
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Caitlyn Davies-Plummer
Caitlyn Davies-Plummer is a proud Barkindji woman living on Kaurna land in Adelaide, South Australia and is the incredible Indigenous artist behind Dustin-Koa Art. Caitlyn works with soft purples, pinks, midnight blues and earthy tones to create her stunning canvas pieces. Her designs have also been featured on a limited-edition collection of women’s apparel in collaboration with Proud Poppy Clothing.
To discover more of Caitlyn’s work, contact her via Instagram at @dustinkoaart.
Zowie Baumgart
Born in Canberra and raised in her family’s traditional country in southern Queensland, Zowie Baumgart is a self-taught Indigenous artist whose artworks represent a bridge between traditional Indigenous art and modern expression. Along with her beautiful canvas creations, Zowie has collaborated with Jarjum Dollies and handpainted a selection of limited-edition dolls with Indigenous dot art.
Follow her on Instagram at @zowie.aboriginalart and on Facebook at Zowie.Aboriginal.Art.
Holly McLennan-Brown
Holly McLennan-Brown, the Indigenous artist behind Koorie Tales, shares the beauty of her culture through each of her pieces, and feels her artwork is “gentle and soft-spoken”. In addition to her paintings, Holly, a proud Yorta Yorta woman living on Wurundjeri country, has collaborated with jewellery designer Erin Kate Venville to create a collection of earrings featuring her designs, and also handpainted a pair of football boots for former AFLW Western Bulldogs player Isabel Huntington.
You can purchase prints of Holly’s work via her website and follow her on Instagram at @koorietales and on Facebook at Koorie Tales.
Bayley Mifsud
A proud Kirrae and Peek Wurrong woman of the Gundjitmara nation in South-West Victoria, Bayley Mifsud’s Aboriginal name is Merindah-Gunya, meaning “Beautiful Spirit” in Peek Wurrong language. Bayley’s talent for creating Indigenous art began at age 5 when she and her family would often visit the Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre in the Grampians where she would practise Indigenous art, music and dance, while being guided and encouraged by her Elders.
You can purchase Bayley’s artworks from her website and follow her on Instagram at @merindahgunya and on Facebook at Merindah-Gunya Art.
Karissa Undy
Kpu_creative is an Indigenous Australian art business founded by a Sicilian and Wiradjuri woman, Karissa Undy. Based on Yugambeh and Kombumerri country on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Karissa uses soft pastel and earthy paints to create unique contemporary Indigenous artworks that represent culture, nature, positive energy and healing.
Discover more of Karissa’s artworks on Instagram at @kpu_creative and on Facebook at Kpu_creative.
Lou Martin
Based on Gubbi Gubbi country in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, contemporary Indigenous artist Lou Martin only recently began sharing her love of creating art. Her pieces are a reflection of her deep connection to her coastal and hinterland surroundings and this passion is represented through her use of soft pastels and pops of colour in her contemporary dot paintings.
You can purchase Lou’s limited edition and children’s prints via her website and also follow her on Instagram at @lou_martin_design.
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This article was originally published in January 2022 and has been updated.
