About Us

Japingka Gallery is a specialist Aboriginal Art gallery housed on two levels of the heritage 1880s warehouse building at 47 High Street in Fremantle, Western Australia. The ground floor gallery presents a broad cross-section of Aboriginal art from leading artists and regions. The two upstairs galleries present new exhibitions every six weeks from Indigenous emerging and established communities and artists.

The gallery directors have over 25 years experience working with contemporary Aboriginal artists. Artworks are ethically sourced, and Japingka Gallery is an active member of both Art.Trade and the Australian Federal Government’s Indigenous Art Code, which aims to ensure best practice and ethical standards in the Aboriginal art industry.

Japingka Gallery has had a presence in Fremantle since 1984, emerging from the Desert Designs clothing business, with the specialist gallery opening at its present location in 1995. The site which 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 Gallery since 1995. He has been a founding member of the national body for Indigenous art, The Australian Indigenous Art Trade Association (ART.TRADE), and was first elected President of that organization in 2002 and re-elected in 2005/6.

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 Indigenous Art and Design company Desert Designs in the 1980s. With the opening of Japingka Gallery in 1995 at its current location in Fremantle, David took up the role of co-director and curator of exhibitions. Being closely involved with the presentation and development of the work of many of the artists who exhibit at the gallery, David maintains a close interest in the progress of their artistic careers.