Art Oceanic (formerly Aboriginal and Pacific Art Gallery) was founded in 1961 by Jim and Irene Davidson. It is Melbourne’s longest running tribal art gallery, specialising in traditional Aboriginal, Melanesian and Polynesian artefacts and art. It was operated for over 50 years from 42 Hardy Terrace in Ivanhoe. In 1991, Malcolm Davidson became the second generation to operate the gallery. After starting his career as a landscape architect, Malcolm made the transition into the world of ethnographic art and artefacts in his early thirties. In 2019, Malcolm relocated the gallery to Brighton, a beachside suburb of Melbourne.
Malcolm is an approved Valuer for Oceanic and Aboriginal art/artefacts with the Australian Government, Office for the Arts, Cultural Gifts Program, and is a member of the Oceanic Art Society of Australia.
The gallery is located in Brighton, a suburb of Melbourne and is a 20-minute drive or a short train ride from the heart of the city.
Art Oceanic presents a broad range of authentic artefacts from many of the diverse Aboriginal cultural groups from around Australia:
• Bark paintings from North East, Central and Western Arnhem Land
• Boomerangs, dilly bags and coolamans
• Shields, spear throwers and spears
• Figures and animal carvings
• Vintage Hermannsburg School watercolour paintings
Also a specially selected collection of New Guinea and other Oceanic Island works including:
• Stone, wooden and woven sculptural figures and masks
• Weapons
• Adzes and Axes
• Drums
• Body adornments
Art Oceanic is open by appointment only.
Please call Malcolm on:
+61 (0)419 355 126 to arrange a visit or view a selection of our objects from the website.