Over the last twenty years or so, Perth's art galleries have grown up. What started as a fairly basic regional scene has turned into something much more varied and accomplished. You've got 29 galleries now spread across the city and nearby suburbs, each one doing something a bit different. They cover all sorts of artists and ways of thinking about art, and they're attracting collectors too. A lot of this comes down to Perth having more money flowing through the economy and locals and visitors wanting to see more contemporary art.
Kensington, Perth
Aboriginart is an online Aboriginal fine art gallery based in Perth, Western Australia. They focus on contemporary indigenous paintings sourced ethically from Central and Western Desert regions. The gallery's pretty hands-on about it, offering a boutique buying experience for people keen on collectable works. Their whole approach is about backing the artists and their communities through what they sell.
Fremantle, Perth
Anya Brock Gallery is an online studio and physical gallery space in Fremantle, WA 6160, working in contemporary paintings, prints, and illustrated homewares. You'll find abstract and figurative work here: landscapes, botanical pieces, birds, and designs inspired by reef life. They do original paintings, limited and open edition prints, plus a range of homewares. If you're after something custom, they take commissions and personal portraits, and they run art workshops too.
Perth, Perth
Art Collective WA is an independent Perth gallery that represents a solid range of Western Australian painters, sculptors and mixed-media artists. The space shows contemporary work across landscape, abstract and figurative practices, with a real focus on oil painting and three-dimensional forms that explore colour, material and place-based ideas.
Perth, Perth
Art Lease is a contemporary art rental service that works with both established and emerging artists, with a particular focus on Indigenous Australian practice. They help people and businesses find art for their spaces through a leasing model, so you can access original works without buying them outright.
South Fremantle, Perth
Artitja Fine Art Gallery in South Fremantle focuses on contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from remote parts of Australia. They stock paintings, works on paper, sculpture and ceramics from artists based in desert and Top End communities. Since opening in 2004, the gallery has backed these artists and made sure their stories and voices stay front and centre.
Kings Park, Perth
Aspects of Kings Park Gallery Shop sits at Kings Park in Perth and sells gifts and art from Australian makers. You'll find contemporary ceramics, glass, wooden pieces, jewellery, Aboriginal art, and nature-inspired gifts. The best bit? Every dollar made goes straight back to Kings Park and Botanic Garden.
Perth, Perth
{"text":"AVA is a Perth gallery on Pier Street in Boorloo that shows contemporary visual art. You can catch it Wednesday to Saturday, and they work with Australian artists. It's situated on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar."}.
Fremantle, Perth
Current is an artist-run gallery in Fremantle, WA 6160 that focuses on contemporary and experimental art. The space lets artists test out different ideas, whether that's sculpture, ceramics, painting, or mixed media work from newer and more experienced artists alike. They run regular exhibitions and take submissions from the public through an open call process.
Bayswater, Perth
Ellis House Art Centre is a community gallery in Bayswater, Perth, where you'll find rotating shows of contemporary art across various mediums. They run regular art classes and workshops in drawing, painting, and portraiture. It's a place where local artists and people interested in art come together to work and create.
Perth, Perth
Gallery Central is a contemporary art gallery in Perth, WA that shows work across different artistic styles. It's pretty focused on giving emerging artists a decent platform and keeping the space welcoming so people actually want to come in.
West Perth, Perth
Holmes a Court Gallery runs two spaces in Western Australia. The main one's at 10 in West Perth's Pickle District, with another site out at Vasse Felix near Margaret River. They put together exhibitions from the Janet Holmes à Court Collection, focusing on contemporary Australian art. The curatorial angle emphasises cross-cultural artistic dialogue, indigenous representation, and how contemporary and traditional art practices overlap and feed into each other.
Fremantle, Perth
Japingka Aboriginal Art sits on Fremantle's High Street and focuses on contemporary paintings by Indigenous artists from right across the country. They represent more than 50 artists and stock acrylic works on canvas and linen covering everything from Dreaming stories to cultural symbols. You can browse their collection online or visit the physical gallery. They're accredited by the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia and the Indigenous Art Code.
Emerging · Mid
Perth, Perth
Kamilė Gallery is a Perth-based contemporary gallery that focuses on museum-quality Aboriginal, Australian and international art. The gallery represents 17 artists and shows work across multiple mediums, from acrylic paintings to mixed media and sculpture. It works with both emerging and established artists.
Emerging · Mid · Established
Perth, Perth
Kolbusz Space is a contemporary art gallery in Perth's Claisebrook precinct. Started in 2019, it was built from the ground up as a studio and project space. The gallery works with artists doing painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, neon, photography and new media. They run regular exhibitions and have an online stockroom with a full range of works. If you're buying, they'll give you one-on-one advice. They also do lease options and lease-to-buy arrangements to make things a bit easier for collectors, designers and businesses.
Caversham, Perth
Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery is a family-run Aboriginal business in the Swan Valley that sells locally made Indigenous art and hand-painted giftware. They also run bush tucker experiences. The gallery's got contemporary Aboriginal art on display, and you can join in on cultural activities. The whole setup is pretty laid back, and the local hosts who run it know their stuff.
Emerging
Perth, Perth
Marc Pinto Gallery specialises in authentic tribal art and sculptural artefacts from Oceania, Indonesia and Australia. The gallery curates figures, masks, shields, weapons and ceremonial objects from diverse tribes, emphasising cultural preservation and historical authenticity across its carefully sourced inventory.
Subiaco, Perth
Mirage Gallery is a Perth commercial gallery that deals in affordable Australian landscape and seascape art. They represent a range of established painters and photographers, mostly focusing on Western Australian subjects. You'll find plenty of work depicting Rottnest Island, the Kimberley and coastal scenes.
Emerging · Mid
Perth, Perth
Moore Contemporary is a gallery in Perth that reps over twenty contemporary artists making work across all sorts of different mediums and styles. You'll find it at Cathedral Square on Hay Street. The gallery handles painting, sculpture, and mixed-media pieces, everything from abstract stuff through to figurative work and landscapes. They focus on supporting both established and emerging Australian artists.
Subiaco, Perth
Mossenson Galleries opened in 1993 in Subiaco, Perth (WA 6008). It's become one of Australia's top galleries, focusing on contemporary work from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-indigenous Australian artists. You'll find a lot of landscapes and seascapes here, mostly dealing with iconic Australian country and coastal scenes.
Perth, Perth
Peter Kendall Art Gallery displays contemporary paintings and mixed-media work by Perth artist Peter Kendall. You'll find oil paintings on canvas and hessian, black and white prints, ink pieces, and mixed-media works dealing with abstract and figurative themes. Kendall also runs art classes and takes commissions from his Australia Place studio.
North Fremantle, Perth
They stock work by solid contemporary Australian artists across painting, sculpture, ceramics, and decorative pieces. The gallery carries figurative and abstract work, along with landscapes, still-life, seascapes, and wildlife paintings from artists working in different styles and mediums.
Mid · Established
Subiaco, Perth
SubiARTco was a Perth artist collective that ran galleries in Subiaco from 2017 to 2021. They showed member work across painting, photography, sculpture, glass art and jewellery. The cooperative worked with a range of contemporary styles and still helps shift artwork and take on commissions through direct artist contact. You can see their current pieces at local pubs and cafes around the place.
Cottesloe, Perth
Tunbridge Gallery stocks ethically sourced Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from 292 artists working across Australia. You'll find the gallery in Cottesloe, Perth. Their range includes contemporary Aboriginal paintings covering desert scenes, coastal imagery and cultural storytelling. They're pretty focused on treating artists fairly and making sure they get proper recognition for their work.
Emerging · Mid · Established · Blue-chip
Perth, Perth
Wallace is a contemporary art gallery located in Perth's William Street cultural precinct. The space presents exhibitions centred on photographic and conceptual practice, with a focus on performed and evidence-based imagery. The gallery supports emerging and established artists working across photography, installation, and theoretical frameworks.
Most galleries stick to standard hours: 10 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Hours do vary depending on which gallery and what day, so it's worth checking. Thursday nights are big for opening events across plenty of galleries, so that's when you'll run into artists and gallerists hanging around socially. If you want a quieter, more relaxed wander through a gallery, weekday lunch hours are your best bet. Sundays are all over the place with hours, so definitely check ahead if you're planning a weekend visit.
{"text":"Galleries that focus on emerging and mid-career artists tend to be more welcoming to first-time buyers, with prices usually sitting between $500 to $5,000. The staff at these places genuinely want to chat about the work and help you get into collecting. Start by checking out galleries nearby in your area and ask the gallerists about their artists. What are they doing? Where did they come from? Most galleries will happily set aside a piece for you or work out a payment plan if you're after something a bit pricier. It makes getting started a lot easier."}.
Fremantle, South Fremantle and North Fremantle together make up Perth's main gallery hub, with good tourist facilities and a solid cultural reputation. The CBD and Northbridge pack galleries close together, so you can hit several in a couple of hours. Subiaco and West Leederville draw serious collectors with money to spend, while Bayswater and Caversham look after their local punters. Cottesloe, being a wealthy beach suburb, pulls in both locals and visitors after art. Each area's got its own vibe, and if you poke around a few different spots you'll get a better feel for what's actually happening in Perth's art world.
{"text":"What you'll pay depends a lot on who the artist is and how long they've been working. Starting out or just out of art school, you're looking at anything from a few hundred bucks up to about $5,000. Artists further along in their career usually sit somewhere between $3,000 and $15,000. The really established ones, especially if they're represented by galleries, can cost way more than that. Perth's a smaller art market than Sydney or Melbourne, so you generally get better prices here for the same quality of work.
Yeah, 11 of Perth's 29 galleries focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. That's pretty reflective of how Australians more broadly have become interested in Indigenous artistic practices. Some of these galleries work with established Indigenous artists, while others are more into giving emerging talent a go. The whole setup varies a fair bit from one to the next, so it's worth checking out a few different ones to see what clicks with you. Because Perth's in Western Australia, you can also get your hands on work by local WA Indigenous artists that mightn't be easy to find in the eastern states.
Most Perth galleries work with artists under representation agreements, so sales go through the gallery rather than straight from the artist. That said, plenty of galleries will set up studio visits or get you in touch with artists directly if you're a serious buyer keen on commissions or building a longer-term relationship. Artist collectives and smaller independent spaces sometimes run different setups. If you mention during a gallery visit that you'd like to work directly with an artist, they'll often sort you out with an introduction to their studio, especially if you're a proper collector or looking at bigger purchases.
Over the last twenty years or so, Perth's art galleries have grown up. What started as a fairly basic regional scene has turned into something much more varied and accomplished. You've got 29 galleries now spread across the city and nearby suburbs, each one doing something a bit different. They cover all sorts of artists and ways of thinking about art, and they're attracting collectors too. A lot of this comes down to Perth having more money flowing through the economy and locals and visitors wanting to see more contemporary art.
The galleries here are different from the big public museums that prop up Perth's cultural life. These are working spaces where artists actually show their stuff, where the gallery owner makes money by selling work, and where you can buy directly from the source. That setup changes things. There's a different feel to it than a government-funded institution. Most of Perth's galleries aren't huge operations. A lot are run by their owners, which means they keep a close eye on what they show and build their own particular crowd of collectors around what they're doing.
What's interesting about Perth's gallery setup is how they're scattered around. You don't get one big Arts District like some cities do. Instead, they're spread across different parts of town and suburbs, each with its own flavour and focus. The city's sprawl means that's partly just how things worked out, but it's actually pretty good for collectors and visitors. You can get to know the galleries near you really well, and the galleries don't have to compete as much with each other while still reaching serious collectors all over the metro area.
The price range varies a fair bit across these 29 galleries. Some show younger and mid-career artists with work going for $500 to $5,000. Others deal with established names where prices climb well above that. If you're new to collecting in Perth, it helps to know where each gallery sits on the price scale so you can work out which ones match what you're after and build relationships with dealers who fit your collecting interests.
Fremantle's got the most galleries in Perth, spread across Fremantle proper, South Fremantle, and North Fremantle. It started out as a maritime hub and that's basically shaped how the arts scene grew there. You've got galleries, sure, but also theatre, live music, and proper literary stuff happening. Because Fremantle's already set up for tourists with good cafés and a known creative reputation, the galleries get a steady stream of visitors from across Australia and overseas. The old warehouse buildings, heritage architecture, and artsy vibe make it an obvious choice for galleries that want room to move and freedom to do their own thing.
Perth's city centre, along with West Perth and Northbridge, is the second big cluster. These galleries sit near the corporate money and office workers, so they're positioned to catch people popping in at lunchtime or after work. Northbridge especially has built up a name as a creative area, with galleries often right next to independent restaurants, bars, and small boutiques. Because everything's close together, you can actually see several decent galleries without going too far, which beats spending hours driving around if you've got limited time.
Subiaco and West Leederville are posher residential suburbs where the galleries mainly work with established collectors from the neighbourhood. Bayswater does much the same for people from the surrounding suburbs who have money to spend and already collect art. These places aren't as lively as Fremantle or the city, but the galleries here tend to deal with serious collectors who actually come in deliberately rather than stumbling in by accident. Kings Park sits in there too, technically best known for its parks, but it's got galleries that pull people in because of the broader cultural stuff happening around the place.
Further out, you've got galleries in Kensington, Caversham, and Cottesloe that focus more on local artists and getting the community involved. Kensington and Caversham galleries serve their neighbourhood and attract collectors who like the whole local gallery approach, while Cottesloe, being an expensive beachside suburb, pulls in both locals and tourists. These galleries often see themselves as the cultural anchor for their area, running opening nights and community events that go beyond just selling to collectors.
Contemporary art is the big player in Perth's gallery scene, showing up in 23 of the 29 galleries we've listed. It's basically work made in the last 40 years or so that deals with what's happening now, though the term is deliberately loose and bleeds into plenty of other categories. In Perth, you'll see everything from figurative paintings tackling identity and social stuff, through to abstract pieces messing around with colour, form, and what things are actually made of. The reason there's so many contemporary galleries comes down to two things: collectors want to buy work by artists who are actually making stuff right now, and that's also where the working artists in and around Perth are putting their energy.
Figurative art (showing in 16 galleries) and abstract work (14 galleries) are roughly equally represented in Perth, which tells you something about what buyers want here. Figurative painting tends to pull people into collecting because we're all familiar with the human form, portraits, and stories told through images. Abstract work operates differently, pushing you to actually think about form, colour, and how things make you feel rather than what they look like. You'll find most galleries plant themselves somewhere in the middle, offering figurative work with abstract elements or abstraction that's responding to landscape or the body in some way.
Landscape and seascape painting is a pretty significant collecting category in Perth, and that makes sense given where we are geographically. Western Australia's particular light, colours, and shape of the land have been getting artists excited for ages, and collectors tend to attach themselves to paintings of places they know, places like the Darling Range, the Swan River estuary, the Indian Ocean coastline. Fifteen galleries focus on this stuff, ranging from straightforward representational paintings to more abstracted takes on place. Photography (six galleries) has become legitimate and commercially viable in Perth in ways it hasn't managed to everywhere else across Australia, which says something about local collectors being open to the medium.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art (11 galleries) is an important collecting category that reflects what's happening more broadly in Australia with Indigenous artistic practice. Perth galleries in this space range from those working with established Indigenous artists to others spotlighting emerging talent. Wildlife and animal painting (five galleries) appeals to collectors with specific tastes and operates in its own market corner. Portraiture and still life (three galleries each) are more niche interests, while floral and botanical work (two galleries) mostly shows up in decorative and domestic settings. Because contemporary, figurative, and landscape work are so prevalent, they're really the foundation of what you're going to see around Perth's galleries, though the specialist categories give you plenty to dig into if you're after something particular.
Before you hit the galleries, it helps to work out what you're actually after. Think about what draws you to art in the first place. Do you have a particular style or medium that gets you interested? Are you looking at emerging artists or established names? Does an artist's background or the subject matter matter to you? Getting clear on this stuff makes it easier to pick which galleries to visit and gives you something sensible to talk about with the people running the place. Most Perth galleries have decent websites these days, so spend a bit of time poking around to see what they're showing, who they represent, and what they're generally about.
When you walk into a gallery, how the staff interact with you pretty much sets the tone for the whole thing. Perth galleries tend to be pretty approachable, even the high-end ones feel pretty casual compared to what you'd find in Sydney or Melbourne. Don't let that informality fool you, though. It's just how things work here, and it doesn't mean the standards are any lower. Ask questions about the artists, what techniques they use, how much things cost, or what the gallery tends to focus on. The people running these places actually enjoy talking about their artists and getting to know collectors. If you like something but aren't sure about buying it straight up, most galleries will let you visit the artist's studio, hold onto a piece for you while you think about it, or work out a payment plan for bigger purchases.
Once you've been collecting a bit, you'll start building relationships with dealers who get what you're into and can tip you off about new work before it goes on the wall. Plenty of serious collectors in Perth do this, going back to their favourite galleries regularly and chatting directly with the owners about new pieces. Because Perth's gallery world is pretty tight-knit, word gets around pretty quickly about what you're collecting if you keep showing up. That works in your favour, galleries start ringing you about work that matches your interests, sometimes before they even put it out for everyone else to see. Checking out opening nights (usually Thursday evenings around the city, though it varies by gallery) is a good way to get to know people and meet the artists themselves.
Knowing what things actually cost matters in practical terms and socially as well. You'll find work in Perth galleries anywhere from under $1,000 up to $50,000 and higher. Galleries that specialise in up-and-coming artists or recent grads usually have more affordable stuff, which makes them good starting points if you're just getting into collecting. Mid-career artists in most galleries tend to sit in the $3,000 to $15,000 range. The established names cost more, but because Perth's a regional market, prices generally stay below what you'd pay for similar work by the same artists down in Sydney or Melbourne. For collectors after quality pieces without crazy price tags, that's actually a real advantage. Perth dealers reckon you get good value on the broader Australian art market.
Most Perth galleries keep fairly standard hours on weekdays, opening at 10 or 11 a.m. and closing around 5 or 6 p.m., though it varies from place to place. Thursday is often a bigger day because that's when opening nights and evening events draw crowds, and plenty of galleries stay open a bit later. Weekends see more consistent Saturday hours (usually 11 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m.), which makes them good for a relaxed browse, while Sundays are hit and miss depending on the gallery. Mondays tend to be quieter across the board. Before you head out on a gallery crawl, best to check specific hours online, especially if you're planning a proper tour, since some smaller owner-run spaces do their own thing with opening times.
Perth galleries are pretty easygoing about etiquette compared to stuffier art venues, but a bit of respect goes a long way. Don't handle the artworks unless someone specifically says you can, especially oils and works on paper which pick up fingerprints easily. If a gallery's quiet and there's staff around, a quick hello works nicely and often leads to a chat if you've got questions. Keep the noise down if you're with kids or a group since galleries are meant to be calm spaces where you can actually think. Check before taking photos, particularly if you're planning to post them online - some artists and galleries want their work kept under wraps until after someone buys it. Remember that galleries are actual businesses trying to make a living, so don't expect staff to give you a free educational tour, though plenty of gallerists will happily chat about their artists if you seem genuinely interested.
Planning a sensible gallery route means thinking geographically instead of just driving around randomly. Group galleries by suburb. An afternoon in Fremantle might cover three to five galleries; the Perth CBD has two or three galleries clustered in a tight area. Subiaco and West Leederville galleries sit fairly close together, same with Northbridge. This saves time and petrol, and you'll start to understand each precinct's personality and what each gallery's actually doing with their curatorial approach. Most collectors end up with favourite galleries they visit regularly rather than ticking off every spot, and that's actually when you find the good work to buy.
Opening nights are typically Thursdays when galleries show new work, and they're genuinely worth going to if you collect. You get to talk to artists, have proper conversations about pieces, and sometimes buy something before it goes public. The vibe's completely different from normal gallery hours, it's more social and chatty but also more crowded. If you're after a quieter, more focused look at individual artworks, a weekday visit mid-week gives you the place practically to yourself.
Collecting art in Perth has some genuine advantages over other Australian cities. The galleries are spread across the city, so you can build solid relationships with dealers without needing massive amounts of money. It's not oversaturated like Sydney or Melbourne, which means you're competing with fewer big buyers and institutions when you're after established artists. WA artists are particularly good value. If you're after Australian contemporary work, you'll find emerging and mid-career artists from WA offering serious quality at prices well below what you'd pay for similar work from Sydney or Melbourne.
Getting the practical side right matters. Check provenance and condition, and think about where an artist's career is heading. Good Perth galleries give you proper paperwork on where work came from and what shape it's in. If you're buying emerging artists, look at their exhibition history and who else is representing them. Visiting artist studios helps, and several galleries can set that up if you ask. Get insurance sorted for decent purchases. There are local framers and conservation people in WA who can advise on keeping works in good condition, especially works on paper or anything fragile.
The Perth collector scene is smaller than what you get in Sydney or Melbourne, but it's real and people are serious about it. Getting to know other collectors through gallery openings, artist talks, and just buying consistently makes the whole thing more enjoyable. Word of mouth still matters plenty here. Gallerists and collectors talk within their networks, so building a reputation as someone who actually thinks about their purchases gets you noticed. Galleries start tipping you off about things they reckon you'd like. Some collectors get involved with artist-run spaces, talks, and public gallery programs too, which gives you another angle on collecting.
Tax and legal stuff becomes important when your collection gets serious. Big purchases can have GST angles that galleries can explain. As your collection grows, you'll need to think about insurance, what happens to it down the line, and authenticating pieces. Having an accountant or lawyer who knows about art collecting is handy, especially if you're buying emerging or lesser-known artists where future value could matter. At the start, all this feels a bit much, but it matters more once your collection actually means something in dollar terms.
This directory lists 29 galleries across Perth and surrounding suburbs, organised by location and broken down by art style and medium. The real trick is matching what you're after with what each gallery actually does. Looking for landscape paintings? You can see straight away which ones focus on that, so you don't waste time wandering around. Same goes if you want to find work by emerging artists at prices that don't break the bank. The suburb listings let you plot out visits that make geographic sense and get a feel for what each area's about.
The art-style categories work better if you don't take them too literally. A gallery that says it does contemporary and figurative work might mean anything from portrait work to abstract figurative stuff or something representational with a modern angle. These categories are supposed to overlap because that's how art actually works. Once you look at their websites, visit in person, and chat with the people running the place, you'll get a much clearer picture. A gallery listing contemporary alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art might feature Indigenous artists working in contemporary mediums on contemporary issues, which is quite different from places that focus on traditional or dot-painting work.
Think of this directory as a starting point, not the final word. The best collecting relationships come from going back regularly, talking to gallerists, and looking at artists' work over time. Pick three to five galleries that catch your eye, maybe spread across different suburbs, and keep visiting them. Go to their openings, get on their mailing lists, and get to know the people there. Once you know your way around, branch out to other galleries you didn't pick initially. That approach gets you much deeper into things than trying to hit all 29 galleries in a mad rush.
The directory shows Perth's gallery scene as it is right now. Galleries open and close, people change direction with their programming, and things shift. What's written here is current, but going in person and keeping tabs through art media and the art community keeps you in the loop. Perth's compact enough that word travels quickly through collectors and artists anyway. Use this directory as your base and back it up with real engagement and you've got a solid way to work your way through Perth's art world.
