Would you buy artwork as a gift?  Afterall there is a lot to take into account – size, colour, fitting in with the interior design of the room whether that be a loungeroom, bedroom or hallway. 

For Christmas, Stephen Tschaepe took the plunge and bought his girlfriend a piece of art – a sculpture made by an indigenous artist from the Northern Territory. 

“She loved the piece as it was a sculpture made by an artist from a remote indigenous art centre in Jabiru,” Stephen said. 

“I chose a sculpture as her walls are already adorned with many paintings and photos, and I wanted to give her something different. The sculpture also represented a dreamtime story about a particular indigenous clan. My partner has been trying to learn more about indigenous culture, and this served as a great medium to do so, whilst being a feature in her home. 

“It's a great way to not only gift something beautiful, but it's also a conversation starter. It is also something she will keep as opposed to something that will only be used once or twice. It's also nice knowing that buying this particular piece helped the artist and the remote community the artist lives in.” 

Stephen knows a lot about indigenous art as he deals with indigenous art centres for Bluethumb, Australia’s largest online art site.  

When it comes to giving art as a gift 16% of respondents in a Bluethumb art survey said they would buy artwork as a gift. 

“It’s not for everybody,” admits Bluethumb Co-Founder George Hartley. “I am more than happy to buy for myself but haven’t bought a piece of art for my friends or family. You would have to be pretty confident in knowing what they want opposed to what you like. 

“Having said that smaller pieces such as sculptures are a little easier as they can be put in several places.” 

The Bluethumb survey found that 27% of survey respondents were under 35, although only 23% were male with women making up the vast majority at 77%. 


https://bluethumb.com.au/