Teho Ropeyarn has forged his place in the Australian arts scene, earning recognition as an accomplished artist, influential curator and in 2025, as the Artistic Director for the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) and Principal Judge for the prestigious Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award.
Teho holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts (COFA). He has collaborated with more than 100 artists and curated over 30 exhibitions, with his own works showcased nationally and internationally, including the 23rd Biennale of Sydney, Nuit Blanche in Canada and the Queen Sonja Print Award in Norway. His works are also part of significant collections, such as the National Gallery of Australia, the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art.
Although his arts career has been monumental, he recalls entering the 2009 Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award as a pivotal moment in his early career.
“I remember my first submission Ikambala into the Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award,” Mr Ropeyarn said.
“I was still a student at COFA at the time and I created an oil painting of a crocodile as part of an assessment, so I decided to enter it into the Award that year.
“I was very nervous, so I can imagine many artists completing their works for this year’s Award would be feeling that as well,” he said.
Sixten years later, Teho returns as Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award Principal Judge with a breadth of knowledge and artistic achievement. In terms of what he is looking for in submissions, he has encouraged artists at all levels to participate for the experience of entering a nationally recognised Award.
“Through the Award, we get to see a lot of emerging artists coming through the ranks. And that’s a positive thing to see, as that is the passing on of inspiration, knowledge and culture and that is how it continues,” Mr Ropeyarn said.
“I’m eager to see culture and traditional cultural practices echoed in pieces that tell powerful stories across various mediums.
“The calibre of artists in the Torres Strait will produce some astonishing pieces and we see it all the time when they present at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair,” he said.
Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Chairperson George Nona said he welcomed Teho’s wealth of knowledge and keen eye for visual artistic expression in his role as Principal Judge.
“Teho is a well experienced and highly regarded creative in the Australian arts industry and a respected member of the community,” Mr Nona said.
“We value his participation in the judging process, as his unique artistic vision will allow him to identify the cultural significance and attention to detail that each artist presents in their work.”
Teho will serve as Principal Judge alongside two cultural advisors.
The 2025 Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award will be held on Thursday 12 June 2025.
