Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander artist Tobias Corrie will share a strong message about climate change through traditional headdresses at the 2026 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. Photo: Veronica Sagredo Blueclick Photography.
Whether they are keeping a message from their elders alive or finding their own message to share, stories from Cape York and Torres Strait Islands will be highlighted at this year’s Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF).
The program for the 2026 iteration was announced on 26 February, putting Cape York and Torres Strait artists front and centre to drive home the 2026 theme, Reclamation & Regeneration.
Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander artist Tobias Corrie will be exhibiting at CIAF for the second time, showcasing traditional headdresses he learned to make from his elders.
The name of his solo exhibition, Thonar, which translates to ‘time’ in the Kala Lagaw Ya language, holds a deep message about climate change for the artist.
“The time is now that we have to start calling out climate change,” he said.
“A lot of my artwork will relate to our culture, which, in a few years, it’ll be lost because of the effects of climate change, especially on the lower islands.”
Mr Corrie said it was an honour to share the knowledge of his elders, and hoped his work would be impactful enough for them to be heard.
“Without them teaching me, I wouldn’t be here today; I wouldn’t be in this position to be able to tell the stories of my people, so it’s really important that when I create art, I do it with a purpose,” he said.
“Everything I do is the stories that have been passed down, and it’s meaningful, so that everyone gets a sense of what’s going on within our culture.
“There are places that don’t exist anymore that still continue in stories today.”
With CIAF now entering its 17th year, he said it was exciting to be part of a legacy of artists who had put Cape York and Zenadth Kes culture at the forefront.
“It’s always an amazing opportunity to be a part of something with other Indigenous artists — a lot of black excellence in one room,” Mr Corrie said.
“I think the most important thing about it is uplifting each other, and sharing our culture with everyone is really quite an awesome feeling.”
CIAF artistic director Teho Ropeyarn said the event would present more than 30 exhibitors from across the Cape, Torres Strait, and wider Queensland region, all with their own stories and cultures to share.
“You get to meet artists, you get to hear talks, and it’s a whole celebration of our people and our cultural expression,” he said.
“It’s a platform for them to present their works, but also profile them, and connect them with VIP collectors in the wider industry.
“It’s about identity and survival, and continuing our oral stories and our connection to Country.”
Mr Ropeyarn also shared the opening night performance setlist, which will feature award-winning Sabai Island dance troupe Naygayiw Gigi, based in Bamaga.
Susan Reys, CIAF artistic director Teho Ropeyarn, and Tobias Corrie celebrate sharing culture and stories through art. Photo: Chisa Hasegawa.
This year’s fair will be extra special for veteran artist Susan Reys, who has sold her works at CIAF’s Artisans Showcase since 2015, but will be presenting a solo exhibition at the event for the first time.
“I can’t believe it’s actually 2026, and finally, I was game enough to submit into CIAF for the artists fair,” she said.
“I’ve been on a long journey of discovering who I am, and arts has actually been my vehicle to allow me to do that.
“I wanted to feel brave and strong to show everyone the way I feel about Country.”
Ms Reys, who creates in her Mount Molloy studio, said her artwork was “intuitive”, allowing the cultural knowledge passed down by her mother to guide the process.
However, an important part of her journey was discovering how she wanted to share culture as an artist.
“As soon as people see the Aboriginal motifs, straight away, they want to come up and have a conversation with me, but I started to be brave, and thought, what if I stripped that back,” she said.
“How could I paint in a style that doesn’t necessarily come from the expectation of what Aboriginal artwork looks like, but what if I painted it from me, from my spirit in this contemporary world.
“It’s taken me a long time to get there, but it’s the thing that excites me and motivates me.”
CIAF Artisans Showcase veteran Susan Reys will be presenting a solo exhibition at the fair for the first time after a long journey of discovering herself through art. Photo: Chisa Hasegawa.
