Robert Malherbe
Artist Profile
Biography
Using dense impasto surfaces and a luscious appliqué of oil paint, often in a restricted palette, Robert Malherbe generates a startling sense of immediacy in his works. Moving paint freely around the canvas he captures light, shade and form. Malherbe works only from life, a method which contributes to the artist’s vigorous mark-making as he records a visual impression along with other, less tangible elements embodied by his different muses.
Through this expressive, gestural style Malherbe creates highly charged images of his female models. In some works the artist overtly explores sex and sexuality, while others lend themselves to a more subtle erotic suggestion. His landscapes, painted en plein air, are based on scenes from the small town of Blackheath in the Blue Mountains (NSW) where the artist lives, transforming the trees and streets of this elevated location through his intense palette of yellows, reds and oranges. Absorbing scenes from the everyday, such as watching the familiar rituals of his partner dress and undress, or the view that greets the artist when stepping out his front door, Malherbe is driven to express the deeply personal. In both his landscape oriented and figurative paintings he imparts a rich and pervasive sensuality.
Robert Malherbe is a regular finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, most recently he was a finalist in both the 2018 and 2019 Wynne Prize and the 2018 Archibald Prize. Malherbe He has been awarded the NSW Parliament Plein Air Art Prize (2016) and the Manning Art Prize (2015).
Using dense impasto surfaces and a luscious appliqué of oil paint, often in a restricted palette, Robert Malherbe generates a startling sense of immediacy in his works. Moving paint freely around the canvas he captures light, shade and form. Malherbe works only from life, a method which contributes to the artist’s vigorous mark-making as he records a visual impression along with other, less tangible elements embodied by his different muses.
Through this expressive, gestural style Malherbe creates highly charged images of his female models. In some works the artist overtly explores sex and sexuality, while others lend themselves to a more subtle erotic suggestion. His landscapes, painted en plein air, are based on scenes from the small town of Blackheath in the Blue Mountains (NSW) where the artist lives, transforming the trees and streets of this elevated location through his intense palette of yellows, reds and oranges. Absorbing scenes from the everyday, such as watching the familiar rituals of his partner dress and undress, or the view that greets the artist when stepping out his front door, Malherbe is driven to express the deeply personal. In both his landscape oriented and figurative paintings he imparts a rich and pervasive sensuality.
Robert Malherbe is a regular finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, most recently he was a finalist in both the 2018 and 2019 Wynne Prize and the 2018 Archibald Prize. Malherbe He has been awarded the NSW Parliament Plein Air Art Prize (2016) and the Manning Art Prize (2015).
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 Feeling is everything, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2021 Raw Instinct, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2020 The Darlinghurst Suite, Michael Reid Gallery, Berlin
2020 The Human Landscape, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney
2020 Motherland, Caudan Arts Centre, Port Louis
2019 Recent Work, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2019 Painted from Life, Jan Murphy Gallery, Melbourne
2017 Recent Paintings, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2017 New works, Chalkhorse, Sydney
2016 In a brighter light, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2016 Resist the spirit of the times, Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, NSW
2014 What’s there is there, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney
2014 New Works, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2014 Gathered in Spring, Small works Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney
2013 Ménage, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2012 Douzième, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2011 Genre, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2011 Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2010 Recent Works, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2009 New Paintings, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2008 Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2007 Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2006 Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2005 Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2004 Tim Olsen Gallery
2003 Tim Olsen Gallery Annex, Sydney
2000 Global Gallery, Sydney
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022 Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2022 Mutual Exchange, NGV Melbourne Design Week, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2021 Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2021 Summer New James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2021 Chapter Three, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2020 Summer Hang, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2020 Salon des Refuses, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2020 Paddington Art Prize, Menzies Art Brands, Sydney
2020 Navigating Cook, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney
2019 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, James Makin Gallery
2019 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Juniper Hall, Sydney
2019 I HEART Paint, Bega Valley Regional Gallery
2019 Paddington Art Prize, Menzies Art Brands, Sydney
2019 Salon des Refuses, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2019 Len Fox Painting Award, Castlemaine Art Museum, Castlemaine
2019 Kilgour Art Prize, Newcastle Art Gallery, Sydney
2019 Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2018 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, James Makin Gallery
2017 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, James Makin Gallery
2017 Art in Action, 3:33 Art Project, Lendlease, Sydney
2017 Artist Profile, Australian Painters, 2007 – 2017, Orange Regional Gallery, NSW
2017 Dog Days, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2016 Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2016 Spring Fever, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2016 40 x 40 show, Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2016 Seeing in Darjeeling, Cox Gallery, Canberra
2016 Self Portraits on Paper, Bouddi Foundation for the Arts Charity Auction
2015 Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, James Makin Gallery, Sydney
2015 Art Stage Singapore, Singapore, with James Makin Gallery
2015 40 x 40 show, Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2015 11.11.15, Home@735, Redfern, Sydney
2015 Salon Des Refuses SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2015 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Price, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2015 Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2015 Naked and Nude, Manning Art Prize, Manning Regional Gallery, NSW
2015 Tattersall’s Club Landscape Art Prize, Tattersall’s Club Brisbane
2014 Hill End Group Show, Jan Murphy Gallery, Brisbane
2012 Salon des Refuses – SE Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2011 Erotica, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2011 Salon des Refuses, S. H Erwin Gallery, Sydney
2010 Autumn Collection, James Makin Gallery, Sydney
2011 Stations of the Cross, Uniting Church, St Ives
2008 2 x 2 Group Exhibition, Tim Olsen Gallery Annex, Sydney
2007 Solstice, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney
2006 Art on the Rocks, Sydney
2003 Tim Olsen Gallery
2002 Flesh, Art House Gallery, Sydney
1999 Chelsea Art Show
AWARDS/PRIZES/RESIDENCIES
2022 Finalist – Archibald Prize, AGNSW
2021 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2020 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize, Menzies Art Brands, Sydney
2019 Finalist, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Juniper Hall, Sydney
2019 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize, Menzies Art Brands, sydney
2019 Finalist, Salon des Refuses, S.H. Ervin Gallery, sydney
2019 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2019 Finalist, Kilgour Art Prize, Newcastle Art Gallery, nsw
2019 Finalist, Len Fox Painting Award, Castlemaine Art Musuem, vic
2018 Finalist, Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2018 Finalist, Tattersall’s Club Landscape Art Prize, Tattersall’s Club, Brisbane
2017 Finalist, Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2017 Finalist, Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2016 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2016 Winner, Plein Air Art Prize, New South Wales Parliament House,sydney
2016 Finalist, Tattersall’s Club Landscape Art Prize, Tattersall’s Club, brisbane
2016 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize, Woollahra, nsw
2015 Winner, Naked and Nude, Manning Art Prize, Manning Regional Gallery, nsw
2015 Finalist, Plein Air Art Prize, New South Wales Parliament House, sydney
2015 Finalist, Kogarah Art Prize, Kogarah City Council, nsw
2015 Finalist, Salon des Refuses, S.H. Ervin Gallery, sydney
2015 Finalist, Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, sydney
2015 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2015 Finalist, Tattersall’s Club Landscape Art Prize, Tattersall’s Club, brisbane
2015 Finalist, Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, nsw
2014 Finalist, Calleen Art Prize, Cowra Regional Art Gallery, nsw
2014 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2014 Finalist, Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, sydney
2014 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize, sydney
2013 Consolation Prize, Naked and Nude, Manning Art Prize, Manning Regional Gallery, nsw
2013 Finalist, Tattersall’s Club Landscape Art Prize, Tattersall’s Club, brisbane
2013 Finalist, Lloyd Rees Art Prize, Colville Gallery, hobart
2013 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2012 Finalist, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, sydney
2012 Finalist, Salon des Refuses, S.H. Ervin Gallery, sydney
2012 Finalist, Plein Air Painting Prize, New South Wales Government House, sydney
2012 Finalist, Tattersall’s Landscape Art Prize, Tattersall’s Club, brisbane
2012 Finalist, Paddington Art Prize, sydney
2012 Finalist, Kedumba Drawing Award, Orange Regional Gallery, nsw
2012 Finalist, Redland Art Award, Redland Art Gallery, qld
2011 Finalist, Salon des Refuses, S H Erwin Gallery, sydney
2011 Finalist, Plein Air Painting Prize, New South Wales Government House, sydney
2008 Finalist, 57TH Blake Prize, National Art School Gallery, sydney
2004 Finalist, Salon des Refuses, S H Erwin Gallery, sydney
2003 Finalist, Salon des Refuses, S H Erwin Gallery, sydney
ARTWORKS
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Robert Malherbe Figure 13
2022
oil on linen
61 x 51 cm
$6,500.00
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Robert Malherbe Seated Figure 2
2022
oil on linen
122 x 91 cm
$15,400.00
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Robert Malherbe The Dreamer 3
2022
oil on linen
127 x 97 cm
$16,000.00
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Robert Malherbe Still Life 6
2022
Oil on canvas
50 x 50 cm
$6,000.00
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Robert Malherbe Large Hydrangeas
2022
oil on board
60 x 55 cm
$6,700.00
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Robert Malherbe Figure 26
2022
oil on board
50 x 40 cm
$5,900.00
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