A Conversation with Jed Farquhar: Art by Farquhar in 2026

Three years on from our first chat, here's an update on how Art by Farquhar has grown, the artists and families behind the gallery, and what's ahead.

How did Art by Farquhar start?

We started in January 2020 as Kool Koala Art, selling prints. In 2021 we rebranded under our family name, Art by Farquhar. My father Michael had already built a respected name in Adelaide over more than 40 years in the kitchen industry, and Art by Farquhar is still very much a family business today. Around that time we had an influx of Aboriginal artists in Adelaide coming to us, and the gallery naturally moved towards Indigenous art. It has been our focus ever since.

Who were the first families you worked with?

Our relationship with Maureen Hudson Nampijinpa and her extended family was where it really began. Maureen's daughters Julieanne Nungurrayi Turner and Gwenda, and her grandson Farron, all paint with us. Her second cousin Michelle Possum Nungurrayi works with us remotely from Melbourne and visits us once a year. I have a close personal relationship with Michelle.

Maureen Hudson Nampijinpa with a recent red Sand Dunes (Tali) painting

We built up a great range of Central Desert art. Then in 2022, an old friend of mine from footy, who is from the APY Lands, visited the gallery one day, and through him we connected with his family. That visit opened the door to the APY Lands.

How did the gallery grow into APY Lands art?

We started hosting more and more APY Lands artwork, which gave artists an avenue to work outside of their art centres on the Lands. From there we grew organic relationships with some of the most popular Anangu artists, including Janice Stanley, Rhoda Tjitayi and Carolanne Ken, and recently we have added someone I am extremely happy about, Renae Nakamarra Nelson.

Renae is an up-and-coming artist, and someone we identified early as having real potential. She comes from a famous painting lineage. She learned to paint by watching her grandfather, the late Michael Jagamara Nelson, one of the most celebrated Papunya painters, and her grandmother Manyitjanu Lennon. She paints Mamungari, the Spirit Woman Dreaming passed down through her grandmother's line, and her large, single-colour fields have real depth and a confident hand. Her work has already been licensed by MFS Investment Management, a global investment firm, which is a great sign of where she is heading. Every time she comes into the gallery she brings something new, and I am genuinely excited to see where her career goes.

Renae Nakamarra Nelson and her latest Mamungari

Rhoda Tjitayi and her 229cm x 180cm Pututju

How do you work with your artists?

For the majority of our work, we supply all the canvas and paints, and we purchase the artwork outright. Most artists deal with us here in Adelaide, while some post their work to us from the Central Desert or the APY Lands if they can't make it down.

Our gallery is built on relationships and families. There is a face behind our gallery. Artists know who they are dealing with, and buyers know who they are buying from.

Which artists is the gallery best known for?

Janice Stanley. An absolutely phenomenal artist. Her Pantu (Salt Lake) paintings are so unique and diverse. She uses a pouring technique with acrylic paint to create these sensational, one of a kind abstract works.

Janice Stanley beside her Pantu (Salt Lake) painting

Maureen Hudson Nampijinpa. Maureen is a blood cousin of the late Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. She is so diverse and paints many different Dreamings. Her most popular are her Fire Dreaming and her Sand Dunes. I personally resonate with her red desert Sand Dunes, and a lot of our clients gravitate towards them too.

Sand Dunes (Tali), Maureen Hudson Nampijinpa

Janet Golder Kngwarreye. Our most popular Utopia artist. Janet comes from one of the strongest painting families in Utopia. Her grandfather was Kudditji Kngwarreye, and his older sister was Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Her grandmothers, Polly Ngale and Angelina Pwerle, were both respected Utopia artists. She paints a bird's eye view of Utopia in her works titled My Country. She has a diverse palette. Janet personally loves her blues, but a lot of clients are drawn to her soft oranges and reds mixed with whites. Janet visits us around six weeks a year and paints in our studio at the Edwardstown gallery.

Janet Golder Kngwarreye showing My Country (Utopia) in the gallery

Carolanne Ken. A Kaltjiti artist who paints Minyma Malilu. Her work is very reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night. Carolanne is one of the most skilled artists at layering fine dots over the movement created by brushstrokes in the background, and her fine dot work is incredibly popular.

Carolanne Ken holding a Minyma Malilu

What makes Art by Farquhar different?

A lot of galleries source the majority of their artwork through middlemen known as wholesalers. That isn't a bad thing at all, but more often than not, we deal with our artists on a personal level. You know where the artwork has come from and how it was sourced. We are very transparent. If you follow us on social media or subscribe to our emails, you will see regular updates of artists visiting the gallery and working in our studio.

We offer complimentary shipping with tracking, and every painting, regardless of price, comes with a signed Certificate of Authenticity. Our staff are easy to reach, whether you have a question or just want to chat.

Working in art is one of the best blessings in my life. I believe the saying is, if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

Who buys from you?

We get a lot of first-time buyers, as well as long-term collectors adding to their personal collections. We stock a lot of art that could be argued as hard to get, and our relationships are what allow us to do that.

We also sell a lot of our work overseas. Over the past year, our paintings have gone to homes across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Mexico, Japan and New Zealand. Every original is carefully packed and shipped with tracking, so collectors overseas can buy with the same confidence as someone walking into our Edwardstown gallery.

Is there a work or artist that has stuck with you?

I know I harp on about her often, and if you know me personally you're probably sick of it, but I am always in awe of Janice Stanley's work. She is an absolute standout to me, and someone who brings me genuine joy to work with. Seeing each new work she creates, there is just something about it. It makes me feel more alive being around it.

Jed Farquhar in front of a Janice Stanley Pantu (Salt Lake)

What's next for Art by Farquhar?

I am currently planning our debut exhibition, booked for next year at Terminal 1, Adelaide Airport, from April to July 2027. I don't want to give away too much, but the focus will be on art and artists that have travelled to Adelaide, bringing their art from "Desert to Adelaide".

I am also in discussions about holding an exhibition across three cities in France, although dates can't be confirmed until June 2027.