Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s (CIAF) Curatorial Associate, Teho Ropeyarn has taken up the Acting Artistic Director’s role, effective immediately. Ropeyarn – an Angkamuthi and Yadhaykana man with ancestry also on several Torres Strait islands – is a long-serving member of the CIAF leadership team, a celebrated Cape York artist who has dedicated his career to advancing First Nations artists and communities throughout North Queensland.
Ropeyarn’s appointment follows Francoise Lane’s resignation after two years at the artistic helm, overseeing the delivery of CIAF 2024 in July – the Festival’s 15th anniversary edition. With Dennis Stokes commencing as the Festival’s first CEO in June, Ropeyarn’s appointment – which is named as full Artistic Director on CIAF’s website – signals the start of a new chapter for CIAF.
“Teho is a valued member of our team who brings his deep passion for First Nations art and culture to the forefront of this celebrated platform,” said Stokes.
Born in Mount Isa in 1988 and hailing from Injinoo on the Cape York Peninsula, Ropeyarn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts, UNSW and his extensive experience includes roles as Gallery Curator at UMI Arts, Curator of Indigenous Australian Art at the Cairns Art Gallery and, most recently, CIAF’s Curatorial Associate.
Over his career to date, Ropeyarn has collaborated with more than 100 artists and produced over 30 exhibitions, including notable projects such as the co-curated Goobalathaldin Dick Roughsey: Stories of this Land exhibition, which was presented at both the Cairns Art Gallery and QAGOMA in Brisbane. He also managed the Big Sculpture exhibition, CIAF’s first major touring project, which this year featured nine artists – Hans Ah Wang, Rhonda Woolla, Alma Norman, Marlene Norman, Mavis Benjamin, Shirley Macnamara, Ian Waldron, Dr. David Jones, Brian Robinson and Toby Cedar.
Ropeyarn’s curatorial expertise has been internationally recognised through several developmental opportunities, including participation in the Getty Paper Project at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection in Virginia, USA, and the National Gallery of Australia’s Wesfarmers Indigenous Leadership Program.
Ropeyarn’s career as an artist has flourished parallel to his curatorial practice, with his work showcased in solo and group exhibitions, both national and international, including the 23rd Biennale of Sydney (2022), Nuit Blanche in Canada (2022), the Queen Sonja Print Award in Norway (2022) and The National in 2023. His practice is focused on his father’s people’s heritage and on preserving and documenting permitted stories and knowledge passed down from Elders. The narratives in his work explore several traditional stories such as significant events, dreaming sites, totems, the four clan groups that make up the Injinoo peoples and ceremonial body designs that have spiritual connection to Country and community on both land and sea.
His work is held in significant collections including the National Gallery of Australia, QAGOMA and the Art Gallery of South Australia.
