Japingka Aboriginal Art, Perth, Western Australia
47 High Street, Fremantle Western Australia, 6160. Australia
Japingka Aboriginal Art is a specialist Aboriginal art gallery in Perth, Western Australia. We are located on two levels of a heritage 1890’s warehouse building in Fremantle’s historic West End. The ground floor art gallery presents a broad cross-section of Aboriginal art from leading artists and regions. The two upstairs galleries present new exhibitions every year, chosen from Indigenous emerging and established communities and artists. Our stockrooms hold a great selection of 3,500 Aboriginal artworks.
The gallery directors have 35 years’ experience working with contemporary Aboriginal artists. Artworks are ethically sourced, and Japingka Aboriginal Art is an active member of both Aboriginal Art Association of Australia and the Australian Federal Government’s Indigenous Art Code. Both these industry organisations promote fair trade practices and ethical standards for the Aboriginal art industry.
Japingka Aboriginal Art (formerly Japingka Gallery) has been in Fremantle since 1984, emerging from the Desert Designs textile and fashion business, with the specialist art gallery opening at its present location in 1995. The site had previously been the home of Aboriginal Art centre Birukmarri Gallery since the mid 1980s.
For visitors, Fremantle is the port city for Perth and is about 20 kms from Perth CBD, with easy access by road and rail.
Ian Plunkett
Ian Plunkett helped establish the Aboriginal design based company, Desert Designs, in Europe, and was involved in marketing Aboriginal art in London and Europe from 1989. Ian has been co-director of Japingka Aboriginal Art since 1995. He has been a founding member of the national body for Indigenous art, Aboriginal Art Association of Australia, formerly Art.Trade, and served as President of the organization from 2002 to 2012.
Ian has an ongoing commitment to promoting not only the unique Indigenous fine art of Australian Aboriginal artists, but also the exceptional culture that is an integral part of the art.
David Wroth
David Wroth began working with Aboriginal artists in Western Australia in 1982. With a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art and a background in painting and printmaking, David’s early career was involved with the founding of the Aboriginal art and design company Desert Designs in the 1980s. With the opening of Japingka Aboriginal Art in 1995 at its current location in Fremantle, David served as co-director and curator of exhibitions. Being closely involved with the presentation and development of the work of many of the Aboriginal artists who exhibit at the gallery, David maintains a close interest in the progress of their artistic careers.