Finding affordable art can be tricky. There’s a fine line between kitsch and classy, between something meaningful and distinct, and soullessly mass-produced. The best works don’t just fill a blank wall – they add your style and personality to a space.
We’ve scoured the internet for standout prints that will elevate your home at an accessible price point. Our advice? Skip the ubiquitous reprints (hello Henri Matisse’s Blue Nudes) and seek out lesser-known artists, local galleries and emerging creatives instead. The real joy of collecting lies in discovering new work with a story behind it – prints that feel like you, not like everyone else’s mood board.
And to guide your choices, we’ve also tapped three gallery founders and directors for their advice on choosing the right work, scale and placement for your room.
The best sites to shop affordable art in Australia
Etsy
Etsy’s sprawling digital marketplace can be overwhelming, but it’s worth the dig. Among tens of thousands of prints spanning every niche imaginable – vintage exhibition posters, museum-grade fine art reproductions, illustrations by independent artists – there are some real gems. For the kitchen, try Emily Christine’s anchovy tins and Matias Larrain’s geometric, Scandi-style prints of fruit bowls and Italian coffee pots. Party Poster Shop offers beautiful reprints of works by Georgia O’Keeffe and Paul Klee. And we also love the original illustrations by Jayne at Tulipions and Claire Caulfield.
Laurel linocut print by Luiza Holub
Luiza Holub’s bold linocut print stands out with its cascading dark foliage and blocks of warm orange and yellow. The Polish artist and printmaker is known for turning everyday objects into graphic, colour-saturated compositions with traditional printmaking techniques. She’s been featured by Ikea, Anthropologie and beyond, and it’s easy to see why – these prints add instant personality to any wall.
Bluethumb
Bluethumb is a veritable art smorgasbord. The online gallery-meets-marketplace brings more than 20,000 Australian artists into one spot – and makes them easy to sort through with a smart filter for size, subject matter, style and budget. Pieces start at $90. And if you’re struggling to find your forever piece, there’s a complimentary art advisory service that can tailor picks to your taste.
How the Birds Got Their Colours by Karen Lee Mungarrja
Wiradjuri artist Karen Lee Mungarrja creates colourful works exploring landscape and memory. This print retells the Dreamtime story How the Birds Got Their Colours through rhythmic columns of layered brushstrokes in soft pinks, peaches, turquoise and terracotta. It feels both meditative and joyful. Perfect for an entryway or anywhere you need a calming focal point.
The Poster Club
For a curated slice of Copenhagen cool, look no further than The Poster Club. This Danish powerhouse collaborates with a global roster of emerging artists to produce high-quality, giclee-printed works. While they are based in Europe, you can skip the international shipping wait by shopping their edit through Melbourne’s own RJ Living. It’s the easiest way to bring that coveted Scandi minimalism – from gestural brushstrokes to grainy, romantic photography – directly to your home.
Slowdown Studio
Founded by Australian designer Marc Hendrick in LA in 2015, Slowdown Studio has built a following for its tapestry-style woven throws (which double as beautiful wall hangings). Each blanket is created in collaboration with artists and illustrators from around the world – from Finland’s Eija Vehviläinen to Sydney-based Swede Micke Lindebergh – and woven in North Carolina using locally grown, recycled cotton fibres. After a decade in Los Angeles, the brand recently set up an Aussie base, meaning local fans can now skip the international shipping fees and long wait times.
Drool Art
We’ve all been in Alex Liepman’s shoes before. When the London-based graphic designer moved into a new flat, he found that affordable, high-quality art was hard to come by. So he launched Drool, which showcases early-career illustrators, photographers, and painters. Drool’s aesthetic is unapologetically bold, with graphic prints that feel like a vibrant collision of Tadanori Yokoo’s psychedelia, Salvador Dali’s surrealism and Keith Haring’s pop-art energy. Printed on premium heavyweight paper, each piece makes a statement without the gallery price tag.
The Real Real
While The Real Real is the ultimate destination for archival fashion – like Tom Ford-era Gucci or sold-out runway pieces from The Row – its art department is a treasure trove for collectors. The same rigorous authentication process applied to a Birkin bag is used for art; you can find everything from Shepard Fairey prints to Hunt Slonem bunnies. Because it’s a consignment marketplace, the inventory moves fast, making it the perfect place to snag a beautiful piece at a lower price point.
Thermal Explorer, Forgotten World 47 by Brian Merriam
We’re obsessed with this soft, organic print from New York photographer Brian Merriam. The slightly abstract silhouette is a dead ringer for the Nīkau palm – Aotearoa New Zealand’s only native palm, which produces spectacular lilac-and-pink flower spikes each spring. At under $100, this is a low-stakes way to add a gallery-grade photograph to your collection.
Food for Everyone
What started as a kitchen-table fundraising project in 2020 has blossomed into a cult-favourite culinary poster shop. Melbourne designer Gemma Leslie acts as a creative matchmaker, pairing world-class chefs with artists to transform recipes into vibrant, limited-run artworks. These posters turn comfort food into home decor – featuring collaborations with Ben Shewry, Elizabeth Hewson, Evi O and Aretha Brown. Every piece is printed locally on 100 per cent recycled coffee-cup paper, and each purchase provides 10 meals to food charities across Australia.
Sunday Salon
Great art is in the DNA of Sunday Salon. The online gallery was founded by Lily Mora, the granddaughter of the late, legendary painter Mirka Mora and daughter of late gallerist William Mora. After a career spent working with global heavyweights like the Tate and Art Basel, Lily returned to Melbourne to bridge the gap between seasoned collectors and first-time buyers. In addition to curated selection of paintings, textiles and sculptures, Sunday Salon also offers an accessible range of limited-run prints by local artists like Mark Bo Chu, Charlotte Ghaie and Mia Boe.
Cultural Disinheritance by Mia Boe
Melbourne-based artist Mia Boe’s work has been exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria and National Portrait Gallery. Drawing on her Butchulla and Burmese heritage, Boe paints striking narrative scenes – long-limbed figures in desert landscapes or sitting for tea with chains around their feet. This limited-edition print brings her signature style home, with its chequered floors, striped walls and mysterious protagonist creating a surreal domestic tableau.
Negative Press
If you want local Australian artworks you can’t find elsewhere, our pick is Negative Press. The Melbourne-based publisher and printer works with Aussie artists to release limited-run prints and books. Founder Trent Walter helps local artists navigate printmaking – sometimes for the first time – across screenprints, etchings and relief prints.
Hot (Orange Cross) by Jon Campbell
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This bold screen print by Jon Campbell channels 1960s pop art and Bauhaus design with its blocky gray letterforms and vibrant orange blocks. Witty and retro, it adds playful energy to a kitchen, bedroom or hallway – and the handmade quality gives it far more character than digital reproductions.
Laundry Gallery
Housed in a repurposed 1970s laundromat in Darwin, Laundry Gallery is a First Nations-led creative powerhouse. It’s way more than a shop. It’s a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to tell their stories on their own terms. By bridging the gap between remote communities and the national and global art market, the gallery fosters genuine economic empowerment. While its physical space hosts exhibitions and workshops, its online store is a curated portal for everything from intricate bark paintings and woven dilly bags to contemporary prints. Its site has dedicated pages for artworks under the $250 and $500 marks to keep you within your budget.
Mandjabu (Fish Trap) by Ngarridjdjan Raylene Bonson
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Raylene Bonson is a senior textile artist who carries on the artistic legacy of her late mother, Nancy Gununwanga. This piece depicts the mandjabu (conical fish trap), using a primary colour palette to honour the ancient object. As a work with deep cultural significance, this piece deserves a hero spot on your wall. Keep the surrounding decor minimal to let Bonson’s intricate linework speak for itself.
Artemest
Italy has a long history of artisanship, and luxury marketplace Artemest is working to keep those traditions alive. The site sources striking pieces from a network of Italian artists and craftspeople – including natural stone furniture, sculptural lighting and classy tableware. For more affordable art, head to the Prints section and filter by price to find works starting around $350.
W Tangram N.04 print by Amelia Corvino
Italian Mexican artist Amelia Corvino reimagines the classic Chinese tangram puzzle as minimalist art in this lively composition. While part of a larger collection, it works beautifully as a standalone piece. Geometric shapes in soft pastels – like dusty pink and butter yellow – are balanced with earthy browns to bring a playful sense of movement to any space.
Wolf & Badger
Think of Wolf & Badger as your favourite local weekend artists’ market, but in one digital marketplace. This B-Corp-certified platform champions the little guy, hosting more than 2000 independent designers across fashion, jewellery, homewares and of course, artworks. There’s no mass production here – just vibrant technicolour prints by independent artists and emerging creators, who you can support right from the comfort of your living room.
Dry Martini hand-painted print by Natalie Cass
It’s giving a permanent “five o’clock somewhere” mood. UK-based artist Natalie Cass launched her studio during the 2020 lockdowns and has since become known for playful, pigment-rich illustrations. The high-contrast red-and-green palette makes this a natural fit for a bar cart set-up or a kitchen gallery wall.
Norsu Interiors
Founded by two best friends with a shared obsession for Scandinavian design, Melbourne-based Norsu Interiors is a hub for Nordic-meets-Aussie style. While it’s a go-to for beloved local labels like Mustard Made and Robert Gordon, the art edit is the real sleeper hit. With more than 700 prints spanning mid-century-inspired photography to soft florals, it’s a one-stop shop for high-quality prints that don’t demand a gallery-sized budget.
1st Dibs
“If a Paris flea market and a luxury showroom had a digital love child, it would be 1st Dibs,” says Broadsheet shopping editor Simone Richardson. She’s right: the NYC-born marketplace is a goldmine for vintage designer fashion through to blue-chip art (think Pablo Picasso and Takashi Murakami). For affordable finds, the prints section holds more than 5000 pieces under $250 – from retro Madonna cassettes to Obama campaign posters that Fleabag would swoon over. Filter by medium or subject to find your perfect pick, or by location to snag local listings and (often) speedier delivery.
What should you look for when shopping for affordable art?
Buying art can feel overwhelming. It’s deeply personal – and you’re investing in something you hope to keep forever. But the golden rule is simple: buy what you love. Don’t worry about whether it impresses anyone else.
Nina Fitzgerald, founder and creative director of Laundry Gallery, says prints are one of the best entry points for affordable art. “[They’re] often overlooked, but the medium is so versatile – from etchings to collographs to screen prints, they offer a wide range for many preferences and budgets,”she says. Fitzgerald also recommends small bark paintings as a more traditional option that adds texture and warmth.
And don’t underestimate the power of a good frame. Budget-friendly framers like Frames Readymade in Melbourne or Frame Shop in Sydney can elevate even the most affordable prints into gallery-level pieces.
What size artwork works best for your space?
There are no hard rules when it comes to sizing. “It’s completely dependent on the space, and it should feel like a fun experiment,” says Fitzgerald. “Play with scale, trust your eye, and see what brings the room to life.”
A large gallery wall can hold multiple smaller works, or a single statement piece can anchor a room on its own. But founder of Negative Press, Trent Walter, has one guiding principle: “An artwork shouldn’t take up all of the available space – it should sit within it.”
Andy Dinan, director at Mars Gallery in Melbourne, agrees. “You don’t have to fill walls,” he says. “When you think about a wall like taking a breath, it changes the way you hang art. You can have fast moments where you might do a salon hang, or slow moments where you just put a tiny piece on a big wall.”
Where can you find affordable art by Australian artists?
You don’t need to look far to find budget-friendly pieces that are made locally. Australia has a thriving arts community, and more platforms than ever are making local work accessible.
Online marketplaces like Bluethumb, Sunday Salon and Negative Press connect buyers directly with Australian artists. Bluethumb alone represents over 20,000 local creatives, while Negative Press works exclusively with local printmakers on limited-edition releases. For First Nations art, Laundry Gallery champions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from remote communities.
“Purchasing from print publishers – like book publishers – will ensure high-quality curation,” says Walter. He recommends spots like Keeper Print Room, Kaleidoscope Editions, Megalo Print Studio, Brunswick Street Gallery Editions, Australian Print Workshop and Helio Press.
If you prefer shopping in person, art school graduate shows are goldmines for affordable pieces. The Victorian College of the Arts, RMIT, the National Art School, and Queensland College of Art host annual grad shows where you can buy directly from emerging artists. Open studio events offer similar access – so follow your favourite artists on socials to keep an eye out for these.
Art markets like Rose Street Market (Melbourne), Finders Keepers (touring), and The Other Art Fair (Sydney/Melbourne) bring together independent artists selling originals and prints. And don’t overlook regional gallery gift shops, which often stock affordable prints by local artists.
Finally, buy directly from artists via their websites or Instagram shops to skip gallery commissions entirely. Follow gallery accounts to discover new names and sign up for newsletters to catch new releases early.
The key is to explore widely and buy what genuinely speaks to you. The best collections are built slowly, piece by piece, over time.
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