CIAF names Sam Harrison for major new commission ahead of 2026 art fair

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair has awarded Brisbane-based multidisciplinary artist Sam Harrison the inaugural Resonance Major Commissioning Project, backing a large-scale new work to premiere during CIAF 2026 in July.

CIAF announced Harrison (a Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri artist based in Meanjin/Brisbane) will develop a major new body of work to be presented as part of an exhibition titled Kin’o’centrism. The commission is being delivered in partnership with First Nations arts and placemaking agency Blaklash, presented by Cairns Art Gallery and supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

CIAF Artistic Director Teho Ropeyarn said the initiative is intended to elevate ambitious First Nations work in public space. “Resonance is designed to celebrate First Nations creativity on the grand scale it deserves” Ropeyarn said.

According to CIAF, Harrison was selected through a panel process involving representatives from CIAF and Blaklash, with submissions assessed against set criteria. The project aligns with CIAF’s 2026 curatorial theme, Reclamation and Regeneration. CIAF says the commissioned body of work will explore remembrance and restoration, including an Eclipse Series of lightbox works examining cyclical time and renewal.

Harrison’s interdisciplinary practice spans drawing, installation, curation and public art. CIAF says he presented solo exhibitions in Brisbane in 2025 and was recognised at the Sunshine Coast Art Prize for his charcoal work Born Here, From There. He is represented by Brisbane gallery Onespace.

CIAF’s Resonance commission is positioned as a strategic expansion of the organisation’s role as a cultural infrastructure body, with the stated aim of opening pathways beyond the fair and supporting the creation of works that can endure as cultural landmarks. Cairns Art Gallery will host the commissioned exhibition at its Court House Building, with the project scheduled to run from 8 July to 22 August.

Queensland Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the partnership would culminate in a major new work expected to be a drawcard for locals and visitors, while noting CIAF’s role in connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists with collectors, curators and audiences. CIAF describes itself as Australia’s premier First Nations-led art fair and cultural celebration, held annually on Gimuy Walubara Yidinji Country. The CIAF 2026 event program is scheduled to run from 9 to 12 July.