The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) is Australia’s premier First Nations-led art fair and cultural celebration, held annually in Gimuy/Cairns, Queensland. Since launching in 2009, CIAF has grown into a world-class platform showcasing the diversity of Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander art and culture. More than an art fair, CIAF is a movement that celebrates storytelling, cultural exchange and contemporary expression across visual art, music, performance and design.
Commissioned as part of this vibrant cultural celebration, these illuminated teardrop-shaped inflatables combined sculptural form with First Nations artwork to create an immersive visual experience. The custom organic shape, designed by Russell Milledge, provided a unique canvas for the colourful and layered artwork of Melanie Hava, translating her designs into large-scale public art installations.
Using high-resolution printing, the intricate patterns and flowing compositions were carefully reproduced across the curved inflatable surfaces, preserving the detail and rhythm of the original artwork. As daylight faded, internal illumination brought the installations to life, with colour and pattern glowing softly into the evening and enhancing the cultural atmosphere.
Positioned throughout the event space, the inflatable teardrops created a connected visual pathway that guided visitors while enriching the cultural storytelling experience. Both functional and artistic, the installations demonstrated how custom inflatables can become meaningful platforms for First Nations art, creating atmosphere, movement and visual impact within major cultural events like the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair.
Inflatable design by Russell Milledge
Artwork by First Nations artist Melanie Hava
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair 2024
