Aboriginal Art Market - Top Aboriginal Artists from Australia
Australian Indigenous Artists Ranked According to Highest Selling Price for a
Single Artwork
Warning: This article contains the names and images of Aboriginal and Islander
people now deceased. It also contains links to sites that may use images of
Aboriginal and Islander people now deceased.
* These Australian Indigenous artists
are ranked according to highest selling price for a single artwork,
whether paintings or sculptures. Date: 02 August, 2009
Rank |
Name of Artist |
Living or Deceased |
Highest Sale
Price (Au$) |
Title of Work |
Year Sold |
Year Created |
Location |
Notes |
| 1 |
Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri |
D 1932-2002 |
$2.4M |
"Warlugulong" |
2007 |
1977 |
Papunya Tula, NT |
2 others sold for $411,750 each |
| 2 |
Emily Kame Kngwarreye |
D 1910-1996 |
$1.056M |
"Earth's Creation" |
2007 |
1995 |
Utopia, NT (Northern Territory) |
"Spring Celebration" (1991) sold for
$463,000 in 2003 |
| 3 |
Rover Thomas |
D 1926-1998 |
$778,750 |
"All That Big Rain Coming Down Top Side" |
2001 |
1991 |
Kimberley (born in Great Sandy Desert in WA) |
4 others sold for over $350,000 each |
| 3 |
William Barak (aka King Billy) |
D 1824-1903 |
$504,000 |
"Corroboree" |
2009 |
1895 |
Yarra Valley near Melbourne |
Details at Sothebys.com lot_id=
159543021 |
| 5 |
Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula |
D 1925-2001 |
$486,500 |
"Water Dreaming at Kalipinypa" |
2001 |
1972 |
Papunya Tula |
Details at Jinta Art Website. |
| 6 |
William McLintock Onus
(Lin Onus) |
D 1948-1996 |
$396,000 |
"Water Lilies and Evening Reflections, Dingo Springs" |
2006 |
1996 |
Melbourne |
Aboriginal father
/Scottish mother |
| 7 |
Paddy Nyunkuny Bedford |
L 1922- |
$300,000 |
"Joogoomoondiny
- Grawler Gully" |
2007 |
2004 |
Warmun, Kimberley, WA |
- Details at
Menzies Art Brands.com |
| 8 |
Judy Watson Napangardi |
L 1925- |
$216,000 |
"Women's Dreaming" |
2007 |
1995 |
Yarungkanji, Mt. Doreen Station, NT near Yuendumu |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 8 |
Billy Stockman Japaltjarri |
L 1925- |
$201,500 |
"Wild Potato (Yala) Dreaming" |
1998 |
1971 |
Papunya Tula |
Details at Jinta Art Website. |
| 10 |
Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula |
D 1938-2001 |
$168,000 |
"Spear Straightening" |
2008 |
1997 |
Papunya Tula |
- Details at Menzies Art Brands.com |
| 11 |
Dorothy Napangardi Robinson |
L 1958- |
$120,000 |
"Karntakurlangu Jukurrpa" |
2008 |
2003 |
Pikilyi near Yuendumu, NT |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 12 |
Queenie McKenzie Nakarra |
D 1930-1998 |
$102,000 |
"Power Places - Texas Downs Country" |
2007 |
1996 |
Texas Downs Station, Kimberley WA |
- Details at Menzies Art Brands.com |
| 13 |
Tommy Yanima Watson |
L 1935- |
$96,000 |
"Iyarka" |
2007 |
2005 |
Irrunytju,
WA (Western Desert) |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 14 |
JUKUNA
MONA CHUGUNA and
NGARTA JINNY BENT |
L 1933-
D 1935-2002 |
$88,800 |
"Wayampajarti
Area" |
2009 |
2000 |
Fitzroy Crossing,
WA (Western Desert) |
- Details at Sothebys.com
lot_id=
159543119 |
| 15 |
Dennis Nona |
L 1973- |
$85,000 |
"Apu Kaz - Mother and Baby Dugong" - Bronze Sculpture |
2007 |
2005 |
Badu Island, Torres Strait |
This sculpture was created in Brisbane. |
| 16 |
Jack Britten |
D 1925-2002 |
$82,750 |
"Purnu Lulu, tha Bungle Bungles" |
2005 |
1989 |
Kimberley |
Details at Lawson's Online |
| 17 |
Gloria Petyarre |
L 1945- |
$78,000 |
"Bush Medicine" |
2007 |
2004 |
Utopia |
- Details at Menzies Art Brands.com |
| 18 |
Minnie Pwerle |
D 1922-2006 |
$78,000 |
"Awelye Atnwengerrp" |
2007 |
2002 |
Utopia |
Details at Lawson's Online |
| 19 |
John Mawurndjul |
L 1952- |
$78,000 |
"Ancestors at Milmilingkan C." |
2007 |
1994 |
Maningrida, NT |
Details at JoelFineArt.com |
| 20 |
Makiniti Napanangka
|
L 1930- |
$72,000 |
"Lupulnga" |
2006 |
2006 |
Papunya Tula |
Details at Lawson's Online |
| 21 |
Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri |
L 1920- |
$72,000 |
"Rockholes near Olgas" |
2007 |
2007 |
Haasts Bluff, NT |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 22 |
Maggie Watson Napangardi |
D 1925-2004 |
$72,000 |
Snake Vine Dreaming |
2007 |
1995 |
Yuendumu, NT |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 23 |
Regina Wilson |
L 1945- |
$65,000 |
"Syaw" |
2007 |
2005 |
Peppimenarti, NT |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 24 |
Ronnie Tjampitjinpa |
L 1943- |
$60,000 |
"Kumpuralgna" |
2007 |
1996 |
Papunya Tula (Kintore) |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 25 |
Walangkura Napanangka |
L 1946- |
$52,800 |
"Kutungka Napanangka at Papunga" |
2007 |
2005 |
Papunya Tula (Kintore) |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 26 |
Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri |
D 1939-1981 |
$50,000 |
"Honey Art Story" |
2007 |
1972 |
Papunya Tula |
Details at JoelFineArt.com - another work sold for $34,000 in 2007 |
| 27 |
Jack Dale |
L 1922- |
$45,600 |
"Wandjinas at Iondra" |
2007 |
2006 |
Derby and Imanji, Kimberley |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 28 |
Naata Nungarrayi |
L 1932- |
$45,600 |
"Marrapinti Rockhole" |
2007 |
2005 |
Papunya Tula (Kintore) |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 29 |
Pegleg Tjampitjinpa |
D 1920-2007 |
$45,600 |
"Tingari Story" |
2007 |
2001 |
Papunya Tula |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 30 |
Billy Thomas Joongoorra |
L 1920- |
$44,000 |
"Waringarri at Warla" |
2006 |
2002 |
Mud Springs, near
Kununurra, WA |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 31 |
Inyuwa Nampitjinpa |
D 1922-1999 |
$43,200 |
"Rockhole at Pukunya" |
2007 |
1998 |
Papunya Tula |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 32 |
Mawalan Marika |
D 1908-
1967 |
$43,200 |
"The Milky Way" |
2009 |
1965 |
Yirrkala, Arnhem Land, NT |
Details at Sothebys.com lot_id=
159540496 |
| 33 |
Kathleen Petyarre |
L 1940- |
$40,000 |
"Mountain devil Dreaming" |
2006 |
2002 |
Utopia |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 34 |
Ginger Riley Munduwala wala |
D 1937-2002 |
$38,775 |
Untitled (Limmen Bight Country) |
2006 |
1996 |
Ngukurr, NT |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 35 |
Angelina Ngal |
L 1947- |
$38,400 |
"Spring Flowers at Arlparra" |
2007 |
2007 |
Utopia |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 36 |
Mick Namarari Japaltjarri |
D 1926-1997 |
$38,160 |
"Marsupial Mouse Dreaming" |
2002 |
1996 |
Papunya Tula (Kintore) |
Christie's Auction |
| 37 |
George Ward Tjungarrayi |
L 1935- |
$38,000 |
Untitled (Designs
Associated with the Travels of
an Old Woman Kutungka Napanangka) |
2007 |
2002 |
Papunya Tula (Kintore) |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 38 |
Tjumpo Tjapananka |
L 1929- |
$34,800 |
"Wati Kutjarra" |
2007 |
2003 |
Balgo Hills, WA |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 39 |
Kitty Kantilla |
D 1928-2003 |
$33,600 |
"Kulama (Yam) Ceremony in Rain" |
2008 |
1999 |
Tiwi and Melville Islands, NT |
- Details at Menzies Art
Brands.com |
| 40 |
Thancoupie
(Thanakupi) |
L 1937- |
$29,700 |
"Pot" (ceramic) |
2006 |
1989 |
Napranum near Weipa,
Cape York, QLD |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 41 |
Paddy Jaminji
(Tjamatji) |
D 1912-1996 |
$29,650 |
"Pelican dreaming" |
2006 |
1985 |
Bedford Downs Station and Turkey Creek,
Kimberley, WA |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 42 |
Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungurrayi |
D 1928-1998 |
$29,400 |
Untitled(designs
associated with the rock-hole site of Wayuta) |
2006 |
1996 |
Papunya Tula (Kintore) |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 43 |
Eunice Napangardi |
L late 1940s- |
$29,325 |
"Uparli
Dreaming (Bush Banana)" |
2000 |
1991 |
Papunya Tula |
Details at Jinta Art Website. |
| 44 |
Abie Loy Kemarre |
L 1972- |
$28,000 |
"Body Painting" |
2007 |
2007 |
Utopia |
- Details at
Shapiro Auctioneers .com.au |
| 45 |
Ada Bird Petyarre |
D 1930-2009 |
$27,600 |
"Atnangkere
(Awelye)" |
1999 |
1990 |
Utopia |
Details at Lawson's Online |
Top Aboriginal Artists
