ARTISTS | Christopher Pease

Christopher Pease is a Minang/Wardandi/Bibbulmun man from South Western Australia, whose visual language is at once deeply embedded within the western history of figurative oil painting and traditional Indigenous storytelling. Western notions of home and land ownership and the consequent loss of Aboriginal culture are referenced throughout Pease’s vocabulary of visual metaphor. His paintings often comprise references to western culture superimposed over scenes of traditional Indigenous ways of living and interacting with nature. His recent works include cross-sections of native flora which have metamorphosed into repetitive motifs and regimented decorative pattern such as those used in contemporary wallpaper designs, through which he reveals the problematic relationship between contemporary notions of living and the loss of Aboriginal traditional land and culture.

Pease is represented in numerous public collections around Australia including: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; along with other public, and corporate collections as well as significant private collections both here and in the USA.

CV:

Christopher Pease ( Minang/Wardandi/Bibbulmun)

born 1969, Western Australia, lives Dunsborough, Western Australia

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022                  Lost in Translation, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2019                  Minang Boodjar, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2015                  Chris Pease, 2015, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney

2013                  New Works, Christopher Pease, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney

2012                  Welcome to Country, Gallerysmith, Melbourne

2009                  Christopher Pease, New Works – Goddard de Fiddes Gallery, Perth

2008                  Christopher Pease – New Paintings, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery, Perth

2005                  Christopher Pease, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery, Perth

2003                  Christopher Pease, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery, Perth

2002                  Christopher Pease, Ben Pushman, Sandra Hill, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery, Perth

2000                  Christopher Pease, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery, Perth

CURATED / AWARD EXHIBITIONS

2024                 24th Biennale of Sydney: Ten Thousand Suns, National Art School and various locations, Sydney
                          A Short History of 65,000 Years, curated by Judith Ryan and Marcia Langton, Potter Museum, Melbourne University (upcoming)

2023                  Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia, National Gallery of Australia travelling exhibition, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, New Zealand 

2021                   Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia, National Gallery of Australia travelling exhibition, Art Gallery of Western Australia, WA

2020                    Belonging: Stories of Australian Art, National Gallery of Australia, ACT

2019                   Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, MAGNT, NT
2019                   Sydney Contemporary with Gallerysmith, Carriageworks, Sydney
2019                   Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks, (curated selection for VIP Lounge)

2018                  Wild: Flora and Fauna in Australian Art, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW
                           Indigenous Australia: Masterworks from the National Gallery of Australia, me Collectors Room of the Olbricht Foundation, Berlin

2017                  A New World, curated by Richard Ennis, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne
2017                 Everyone has a history – Part one: Plain Speak, AGWA, Perth

2016                 Darkness on the Edge of Town, Artbank, Sydney

2015                  Post-hybrid: Reimagining the Australian Self, John Curtin Gallery, WA

2014                  Family Matters, Holmes a Court Gallery, Heytesbury, WA

2012                  Australian Landscape: Present in the Now, Michael Reid Gallery Berlin
                          Murr-ma: Uncovering Aboriginal & Australian Contemporary Art, Berlin

2011                  Noongar Country 2011, Bunbury Regional Art Gallery

2010                  17^th Biennale of Sydney, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney
                          Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
                          Nyoongar Dreaming, City of Joondalup Gallery

2009                  Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards, AGWA, Perth
                           Culture Warriors, Katzen Centre, Washington DC

2007                  First Indigenous Triennial, Culture Warriors, National Gallery of Australia
                           Nyoongar Native Title, John Curtin Gallery, Perth

                           Contemporary Nyoongar Painting, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery

2006                  Melbourne Art Fair, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery
                           Right Here, Right Now, National Gallery of Australia
                           Identity and Change, AGWA, Perth

2005                  22^nd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, MAGNT

2004                  Melbourne Art Fair, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery
                          Works from the Collection, John Curtin Art Gallery

2003                  Group show with Ben Pushman and Sandra Hill, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery

                           South West Central, Art Gallery of Western Australia

2002                  19^th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
                           Ben Pushman, Sandra Hill, Chris Pease, Goddard de Fiddes, Perth

2001                  Mine Own Executioner, Mundaring Art Centre
                          Wide Open, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery

COMMISSIONS & AWARDS

2021                       COMMISSION: Targets, Elevate Rooftop Terrace, Art Gallery of Western Australia

2021                       AWARDED SELECTIVE COMMISSION: Doondalup, City of Joondalup, WA

2019                       SHORTLISTED: Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of NT

2018                       COMMISSION: major wall commission over two levels, Barangaroo Towers, Sydney

2009                       HIGHLY COMMENDED: Western Australia Indigenous Art Award, AGWA

2006                       SELECTED: Royal Netherlands Embassy Aboriginal Print Portfolio Project

2005                       SHORTLISTED: 22^nd National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Museum and Art Gallery of NT, Darwin

2004                       COMMISSION: Major foyer commission, Perth Convention Centre, WA

2002                       WINNER: PAINTING PRIZE – 19^th National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award, Museum and Art Gallery of NT, Darwin

PRESS / PUBLICATIONS

2021                ‘History in Artwork’, Joondalup Times, May 27
2021                Wynne, Emma, ABC Radio Perth, ‘WA’s state art gallery reopens with new rooftop’, Nov 6
2021                Browning, Daniel, ABC Radio, The Arts Show, ‘Christopher Pease layers Nyoongar iconography over colonial vistas’, Nov 6
2021                Trinh, Katrina, ‘AGWA relaunches with a celebration of Western Australia art’, Art Guide Australia, Nov 9

2019                Griffith, Chris, ‘Indigenous Art Finds its Voice’, The Australian, Aug 10
2019                Smith, Marita, ‘Minang Boodjar’, ex. cat, issuu publishing through Gallerysmith
2019                Kirk, Emma, ‘Dunsborough artist Christopher Pease nominated for prestigious art award’, Margaret River Mail, July 19
2019                Wright, Jamie, ‘Recovering a Stolen Past’, seesaw online arts mag, August
2019                Gatt, Ainslie, ‘Nyoongar identity and the Art of Christopher Pease’, PhD thesis, University of WA

2018                 McDonald, John, ‘Art: Christopher Pease’, Sydney Morning Herald, November 16
2018                 Haebich, Hannah, ‘Dancing in Shadows: Histories of Nyungar Performance’ (cover)
2018                 Downes, Briony, ‘Christopher Pease: Minang Boodjar preview’, Art Guide, Nov issue
2015                 Reid, Michael, ‘Chris Pease: 2015’, issuu publishing through Michael Reid Gallery
2015                 McKnight, Lia, ‘Post-hybrid: reimagining the Australian self’, John Curtin Gallery ex. cat
2013                 Alternative Law Journal (cover), Vol 40(2) – Welcome to Country
2012                 Smith, Marita, Welcome to Country, ex. cat, issuu publishing through Gallerysmith
2010                 Elliot, David, ‘The Beauty of Distance: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age’, ex. cat.
2009                 Allen, Tess, Christopher Pease biography, Design & Art Australia Online (DAAO)
2008                 McCulloch, Susan, McCulloch Childs, Emily, ‘McCulloch’s Contemporary Aboriginal Art, the complete guide’, new ed., Fitzroy, Vic, McCulloch & McCulloch Australian Art Books, pgs. 279, 282.
2008                  Jorgensen, Darren, ‘Artlink review, solo exhibition, Goddard de Fiddes Gallery’, June
2007                 Bullen, Clotilde, ‘07: Culture Warriors’, ex. cat.
2007                 Creighton, Chad, ‘Noongar Native Title: Works from the Curtin University of Technology Art Collection’, John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University, ex. Cat
2003                 Croft, Brenda, ‘South West Central: Indigenous Art from South Western Australia 1833-2002’, AGWA, W.A, ex.cat
2001                 Croft, Brenda, ‘Indigenous art : Art Gallery of Western Australia’, Perth: Art Gallery of Western Australia.

COLLECTIONS

National Gallery of Australia, Canberra (2004, 2005, 2009, 2019)

National Museum of Australia, Canberra (2018)

National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2006, 2007, 2009, 2019)

Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth (2001, 2007, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)

Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane (2007, 2008)

Parliament House Collection, Canberra

Wesfarmers Collection, Perth

Edith Cowan University, Perth

Holmes a Court Collection, WA

Kerry Stokes Collection, Perth

Australian Capital Equity, Perth

Perth Convention Centre, WA

BHP Billiton Art Collection, Melbourne

John Curtin University, Perth

Murdoch University, Perth

University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane

City of Perth, WA

Artbank, Sydney

Museum of Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Utrecht, Netherlands

Inspiration: