Michael Zavros: The favourite

Whether realised through the meticulously rendered paintings for which he is best known or through digital photography, video, performance or sculpture, Michael Zavros’s body of work is art-directed and aestheticised to the nth degree. While many are drawn to its largely undisturbed world of luxury, order and beauty, other people are left wondering, even troubled,…

See two irresistible exhibitions: eX de Medici & Michael Zavros

Preparations are underway for our winter program of two irresistible exhibitions ‘eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness’ and ‘Michael Zavros: The Favourite’, presented side by side at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane until 2 October 2023. Focused on the practice of two highly regarded mid-career Australian artists, these exhibitions offer opportunities for unique…

The Archibald Prize: A Century of portraits

With the 2023 Archibald Prize recently announced, we delve into Australia’s oldest portrait award hosted by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Since 1921 the prize has attracted National interest, controversy, court cases and continually sparks numerous debates, so to celebrate we’ve made a list of works from the QAGOMA Collection with a link…

Auschar Chauncy, England/Australia b.c.1836-1877 / Portrait of Richard Edwards 1874

We all call Queensland home

By telling the story of Australian Art, we can observe the changing nature of portraiture — the shift from democratic modes such as the nineteenth-century photograph, to oil paintings produced after a number of sittings and preparatory sketches. These portraits tell stories of contact between cultures, including colonial and immigrant experiences. Many of these stories connect…