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ART INDEX
Art Index and Blackroo: Bridging the gap between First Nations artists and the Reconciliation Plan
A Legacy of Visual Storytelling
Indigenous Australians, the world's oldest continuous civilization, have a profound history of visual storytelling.
The tradition of Aboriginal rock painting stands as the longest-unbroken art tradition on our planet.
For nearly half a century, the Aboriginal art market has thrived, with Australian Indigenous fine arts gaining worldwide recognition and acclaim.
Bridging Cultures and Building Partnerships
Art Index, founded by Sacha Clemens in 2007, is a Sydney-based art collection leasing company with a remarkable portfolio of fine art valued at over $30 million. Our collection includes works from both emerging and established Australian and Asian artists.
We specialize in leasing artworks to reputable organizations, providing our clients with fixed-term, high-yielding rental income, and enhancing corporate spaces with culturally significant and thought-provoking artwork. Our rental agreements offer low-risk fixed returns of up to 10.25 percent per annum, often spanning a minimum of three years.
Within our collection, you'll find impressive works by First Nations artists, including renowned names such as Ronnie Tjampitjinpa, Walangkura Napanangka, Judy Watson Napangardi, George "Hairbrush" Tjungari, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, Tommy Watson, and more. These artists have achieved global recognition for their beautiful interpretations of their individual historical bloodline dreaming and teachings, shared across the international fine art market since the 1960s.
Empowering Indigenous Communities
Our vision extends beyond the world of art. It's about making a tangible impact on Indigenous communities. Art Index's founder, Sacha Clemens, shared this vision with Steve Fordham, a Kamilaroi man and the founder of BlackRoo Community Indigenous Corporation.
This has led to a partnership between the organisations that has created a groundbreaking collaboration to rent certified Indigenous fine art to corporates. Blackroo Community is a registered Charity and Indigenous Corporation enabling the expenditure on our indigenous fine art offerings to be to recognised as RAP expenditure
BlackRoo facilitates the Balund-a Program in an NSW Northern Rivers Community Correction Centre. This program trains Indigenous inmates in TAFE Cert II Construction Pathways. Its aim is to address the over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the prison system. It provides both Indigenous and
non-Indigenous individuals who've faced turbulent life circumstances with opportunities for education and personal growth. Graduates are encouraged to join the "Second Chance For Change" program, run by Mr.
Fordham's contracting business in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
The success of this program is evident – only one out of more than 100 individuals who participated have returned to the prison system. It highlights the potential for successful reintegration into the local community, regardless of gender, race, or life circumstances. Art Index's financial contribution to BlackRoo helps support these initiatives and enables businesses to fulfill their mandatory quotas under the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) framework, promoting meaningful relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Investing in Indigenous Art: A Unique Opportunity
In a multi-billion-dollar global art market, Indigenous art offers a distinctive and valuable investment, deeply rooted in the history of the world's oldest culture.
Through our partnership with BlackRoo Industries, First Nations' artwork gains recognition not only for its cultural significance but also its financial value. Recent auctions at Sotheby’s New York have seen Indigenous artwork fetching astounding prices, with some pieces selling for more than $1 million.
For example, a Numinya piece from 1977 sold for $152,837, while Kirrimalunya, created in 2001, was auctioned off for $114,628. Most remarkably, a Water and Bush Tucker Story piece from 1972 was sold for in excess of $1 million.
The average price of George Tjungurrayi’s paintings, a traditional Pintupi man, sold in Australia, has risen considerably over the past couple of decades, with average prices at auctions sitting at almost $80,000. This is far superior to the base figure of less than $20,000 in 2018.
This demonstrates that interest in First Nations artwork is growing and growing fast.
These trends signify a growing interest in First Nations artwork, offering investors a unique opportunity to engage with a thriving market while celebrating and preserving the cultural heritage of Indigenous Australians.
If you would like to hear more about our partnership with BlackRoo or you are interested in how you can become part of the initiative through art investment or art rentals, please contact us
Public Speaking
If you have a big group catch up it would be awesome to get Steve to come and give a talk on why Blackroo … it will be epic
Philanthropy and the Big Picture
When it comes to philanthropy, BlackRoo with our DGRS-1 is the ideal spot for tax-effective support, we could do a great deal of good especially for these inspiring young girls.
When you are all up on your strategy we would love your crew to work with us. You will get peace of mind know the money goes to the right places
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Contact Details
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