Sullivan+Strumpf now representing Michael Zavros
Announcement posted by The Fold PR 31 Oct 2019
[Thursday, 31 October 2019] One of Asia-Pacific’s leading contemporary art galleries, Sullivan+Strumpf is excited to announce its representation of award-winning Australian artist Michael Zavros.
The Brisbane-born artist is best known for his photorealistic, hyper-detailed paintings and drawings, engaging with themes of beauty, desire and often the culture of narcissism.
His work has been exhibited in major museums throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe, and his survey show Magic Mike at the Newcastle Art Gallery opened to much critical acclaim. His subjects include luxury fashion, flowers, cars, jewellery, dressage horses, pedigree chickens and more recently, explorations of the home and self.
Sullivan+Strumpf, co-founder and director, Ursula Sullivan says the gallery is proud to be representing Zavros and they look forward to presenting his work in 2020.
“The work of Michael Zavros is sharp and frighteningly poignant. He catches us, like deer in the headlights, with our judgement, desire, fear and aspiration intimately exposed. We are thrilled to begin working with him as he reaches new heights of technical and conceptual maturity and confidence. He is a master,” said Sullivan.
A finalist in the 2019 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Zavros has received a number of coveted art awards including the 2012 Bulgari Art Award through the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the 2010 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the 2007 Kedumba Drawing Award, the 2005 Robert Jacks Drawing Prize, the 2004 MCA Primavera Collex Art Award, the 2002 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, and he has been a multiple Archibald Prize finalist. He has also been the recipient of several international studio residencies, including the Australia Council Greene Street Studio, New York in 2014.
Recent solo exhibitions include an upcoming show at Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane on 12 November to 7 December 2019; Bad Dad at Starkwhite, Auckland in 2014; A Private Collection: Artist Choice at Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art, and The Prince at Rockhampton Art Gallery and Griffith University Art Gallery in 2013. Zavros also held international solo shows at Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Los Angeles in 2016 and Art Basel Hong Kong in 2015.
Recent Australian group exhibitions include the 2016 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art at Art Gallery of South Australia and GOMAQ at Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane in 2015.
Zavros’ work is held in numerous private and public collections, including The National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, University of Queensland Art Museum, Artbank, National Portrait Gallery, Griffith University Art Collection, Newcastle Region Art Gallery and Tasmanian Museum and Gallery.
Zavros lives and works outside of Brisbane.
For more information, please visit www.sullivanstrumpf.com
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For media enquiries please contact:
Sarah Shields, The Fold PR | +61 408 283 091 | sarah@thefoldpr.com.au
About Sullivan+Strumpf
Sullivan+Strumpf is one of Asia-Pacific’s leading contemporary art galleries, representing the most engaging Australian and international artists of our time. Founded in 2005 by co-directors Ursula Sullivan and Joanna Strumpf, Sullivan+Strumpf has spaces in Sydney and Singapore and represents 39 established and emerging artists and artist estates from across the Asia-Pacific and East Asia. The gallery presents an ambitious program of diverse exhibitions, publications and talks, and an international art fair schedule spanning Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Sullivan+Strumpf has proudly helped to foster the careers of some of the most significant contemporary artists in the region and remains dedicated to supporting artists to realise their visions and forge long-term artistic careers. www.sullivanstrumpf.com
Michael Zavros Bio
Michael Zavros (b. 1974) graduated from Queensland College of Art with a Bachelor of Visual Arts in 1996.
In 2012 Michael Zavros was awarded the inaugural Bulgari Art Award through the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In 2010 he was awarded the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, the world’s richest prize for portraiture. He has won three major Australian drawing prizes: the 2002 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, the 2005 Robert Jacks Drawing Prize and the 2007 Kedumba Drawing Award, and has been a multiple Archibald Prize finalist. He was the recipient of the 2004 MCA Primavera Collex Art Award.
In 2016 Zavros showed a solo exhibition at Art Los Angeles Contemporary and in 2015 a solo at Art Basel Hong Kong. Other shows include Selectively Revealed, an Asialink and Experimenta Media Arts exhibition that toured to Korea, Indonesia and Thailand in 2012, New Nature at Govett Brewster Gallery, New Zealand in 2007 and Uncanny (the unnaturally strange), Artspace, Auckland, New Zealand.
Zavros’s selected Australian group exhibitions include Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art 2016 at Art Gallery of South Australia, GOMAQ at Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2015, Wilderness at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2010, Scott Redford Vs Michael Zavros at the Institute of Modern Art, 2010, Contemporary Australia: Optimism at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2008, and Primavera at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney 2000.
Solo exhibitions include Bad Dad at Starkwhite, Auckland, 2014, A Private Collection: Artist Choice, Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art, The Prince, Rockhampton Art Gallery and Griffith University Art Gallery, The Good Son: Works on Paper, a survey exhibition in 2009 at Gold Coast City Art Gallery and Everything I wanted at the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane in 2003/2004.
Zavros has been the recipient of several international residencies including the Australia Council Greene Street Studio, New York, 2014 Milan studio residency in 2001, and the Barcelona studio in both 2005 and 2010. In 2003 he was awarded a Cite International des Arts Residency in Paris through the Power Institute, University of Sydney. In 2004 he was awarded a studio residency at the Gunnery Studios, Sydney, from the NSW Ministry for the Arts.
In 2013 he was commissioned by the Australian War Memorial to paint a portrait of Victoria Cross winner Ben Roberts-Smith and in 2016 he will paint Dame Quentin Bryce for the National Portrait Gallery. He served on the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts between 2007 and 2011 and currently serves on the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) board.
His work is held in numerous private and public collections, including The National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, University of Queensland Art Museum, Artbank, National Portrait Gallery, Griffith University Art Collection, Newcastle Region Art Gallery and Tasmanian Museum and Gallery.