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.
Exhibitions:
XV: PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Lost in Translation | Christopher Pease
Belonging: Stories of Australian Art at NGA
Christopher Pease's Target 3, features in Belonging: Stories of Australian Art at the National Gallery of Australia This major collection…
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Awards 2019
Christopher Pease's large scale painting Kartwarra was selected as a finalist in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts…
Minang Boodjar | Christopher Pease
Wild: Flora and Fauna in Australian Art as Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
Two works by Christopher Pease have been selected for exhibition at Hawkesbury Regional Gallery's group exhibition Wild: Flora and Fauna…
Indigenous Australia: Masterworks from the National Gallery of Australia
Franchesca Cubillo, the NGA Senior Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, selected Christopher Pease's work Hunting Party (2003)…
Plain Speak | Art Gallery of Western Australia
Part one: Plain Speak launches a new annual series at AGWA, Everyone has a history, presenting compelling personal stories told through…
Darkness on the Edge of Town | Artbank Sydney
Curator Clothilde Bullen found inspiration for Darkness on the Edge of Town in Christopher Pease's work Balga Resin (2008). Bullen…
Winter Solstice 1: a group exhibition | Gallerysmith
Welcome to Country | Christopher Pease
17th Biennale of Sydney 2010
Artworks by Christopher Pease featured in the 17th Biennale of Sydney. The 17th Biennale of Sydney was curated by David Elliot, and…
WA Indigenous Art Award 2009
Christopher Pease was awarded High Commendation for his works entered into the Western Australian Indigenous Art Award, 2009.
Culture Warriors: Australian Indigenous Art Triennial 2007 | NGA, Canberra
Four oil paintings by Christopher Pease featured in the inaugural Australian Indigenous Art Triennial Culture Warriors in 2007. Culture Warriors presents…
Right Here Right Now | National Gallery of Australia
Christopher Pease's work New Water Dreaming featured in Right here right now: Recent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander acquisitions at…
South West Central at the Art Gallery of Western Australia
South-West Central: Indigenous Art from south Western Australia 1833-2002 presented a comprehensive survey of contemporary Nyoongar art from the Southwest…
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards 2002 | MAGNT
Christopher Pease is the winner of the General Painting Award at NATSIAA 2002, with artwork Wadatji Country- Belief and Disbelief.…
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 17th 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 22nd 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 19th 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: 22nd 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 – 19th 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
News:
CHRISTOPHER PEASE ROOFTOP ARTWORK UNVEILED AT THE ART GALLERY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Gallerysmith is delighted to share the news that Christopher Pease's long awaited thirty-four metre long rooftop installation was unveiled at…
CHRISTOPHER PEASE VISUAL ART COMMISSION
Christopher Pease has been awarded the 2021-22 Joondalup Visual Art Commission. Every year the City of Joondalup celebrates local landmarks…
MAJOR COMMISSION AWARDED TO CHRISTOPHER PEASE
Christopher Pease will unveil a major new artwork on the rooftop of the Art Gallery of Western Australia in July…