NTIBN, in partnership with Desart, is once again bringing the vibrant Buy Blak Markets to Parrtjima – A Festival in Light from April 4-5, 2025. Over two incredible nights, festival goers will have the chance to explore and purchase stunning paintings, woodwork, prints, baskets, sculptures, and crafts from some of Central Australia’s leading Indigenous art centres. The marketplace will also showcase handcrafted jewellery, bush medicine, beauty products, and unique cultural experiences, celebrating the diverse talents of Indigenous artists and businesses from across the region.
More than just a marketplace, the Buy Blak Markets is a powerful celebration of culture, connection, and community. Every purchase directly supports Indigenous artists and businesses, contributing to the growth and sustainability of Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. With artworks and handcrafted items that reflect generations of storytelling, tradition, and innovation, the market offers a rare opportunity to engage with authentic Indigenous culture and take home a piece of Central Australia’s rich artistic heritage.
This year Kakadu Kitchen, an Indigenous-owned bush food company based in Darwin, will be a new stall at the Buy Blak Markets. They will be serving up their beautiful Conscious Drink, plus more exciting offering, that Ben has created with business partner Tim Triggs.
Utopia Art Centre will again be featuring at Buy Blak Markets for Parrtjima 2025 and is unveiling a unique fashion collaboration with designer, filmmaker, and local resident Rachel Perkins. The collection, Atyene, transforms Utopia’s celebrated art into wearable pieces, bringing First Nations fashion to the forefront.
Who’s Showcasing in 2025?
This year’s Buy Blak Markets will feature an exciting mix of Indigenous art centres and businesses, each bringing their own unique offerings:
Art Centres:
Utopia Art Centre collaboration with Rachel Perkins.
Utopia Art Centre is home to some of the Central Desert’s most exciting new art from emerging and established artists.
Located 250km northeast of Alice Springs, Utopia Art Centre works across 16 remote homelands and provides a space for intergenerational learning and cultural expression on Country.
Utopia, which locals call Urapuntja, has a diverse history with artists gaining international recognition for batik in the 1980’s before transitioning to painting.
Many senior artists have travelled and exhibited across the world, including the famed Emily Kame Kngwarreye. The bold brushwork and expressive colour that set Utopia artists apart has been continued by the younger generation of children and grandchildren painting today.
Senior artist Sam Jampijinpa Mbitjana Dixon said the development of the art centre has always had the artists, culture and history at its heart.
“We’re strong. We’ve been holding this country. We’ve been waiting a long time for that power to come back. Old People gave us that power a long time ago and now we’re making strong canvas here. This is our art story now,” he said.
Included in the Utopia Art Centre stall at this years market is a unique clothing collaboration with designer, filmmaker and local resident, Rachel Perkins. An exquisite collection of First Nations Fashion, celebrating the work of Utopia artists in a form you can literally wear wherever you go: Atyene
Artists of Ampilatwatja
Established in 1999, Artists of Ampilatwatja is a thriving artistic community located 325km northeast of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) on Aherrenge country, home to the Alyawarre people.
Renowned for its distinct and vibrant style, the art produced here offers a unique glimpse into the deep cultural and traditional knowledge of the region. Through intricate depictions of waterholes, soaks, mountains, sand hills, and bush medicines, Ampilatwatja artists honor the land and its significance. Their work serves as both a celebration of Country and a visual storytelling of traditional healing practices and Dreaming.
Visit: www.Ampilatwatja.com
Tjanpi Desert Weavers
The Tjanpi Desert Weavers celebrate life, creativity, and connection to Country, working with over 400 Anangu/Yarnangu women artists across 26 remote communities in the Central and Western deserts. A social enterprise of the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council, Tjanpi (meaning grass in Pitjantjatjara) provides women with opportunities to earn an income from contemporary fibre art while maintaining strong cultural practices.
Covering 350,000 sq km across Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, Tjanpi artists transform native grasses into intricate woven baskets and striking sculptures. This creative practice evolved from the tradition of making manguri rings and has become a fundamental part of desert culture. Through their work, these artists embody the energy, spirit, and resilience of Country, culture, and community.
Tjanpi Desert Weavers is more than an art centre—it is a living network of shared stories and skills, where mothers, daughters, aunties, sisters, and grandmothers weave together not just fibre, but the past, present, and future of their communities.
Visit tjanpi.com.au for more information and sales.
Tapatjatjaka Art & Craft, Titjikala
Titjikala is a small but culturally rich community of approximately 220 residents, located 107 km south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. This land has been home to the Eastern Arrernte people since the Dreaming and is nestled among striking red clay pans on the western edge of the Simpson Desert.
Surrounded by a breathtaking landscape of rocky outcrops, rolling ridges, gorges, and dry riverbeds, Titjikala’s stark yet stunning environment is a feast for the senses. The vibrant hues of orange and red ochres, sage greens, and vast blue skies create a striking contrast, capturing the essence of the desert’s raw beauty.
Visit www.TapatjatjakaArts.com.au for information and sales.
The NTIBN Market Stalls will feature:
- No Fixed Gallery
- Purple House – Bush Balm Social Enterprises
- Ltyentye Apurte Traditional Craft Centre
- Kungkas Can Cook
- Mulla Mulla Art
- Eye of Thee
- Standley Chasm
- JR Creative Arts
- Northern Territory Business Network (NTIBN)
- Kakadu Kitchen X OzHarvest
- One more exciting business to be named.
With a diverse selection of handcrafted goods and authentic Indigenous experiences, this year’s Buy Blak Market is set to be an unmissable part of Parrtjima 2025.
