Herman Pekel

BORN 1956 Melbourne

STUDIES
Fine Art RMIT 19881 – 1984
Diploma of Teaching University of Melbourne – 1989

Background

Born of Dutch parents he began painting at the early age of eight and held his first solo exhibition whilst still in his teens. He spent three years studying and painting in Amsterdam and London where he encountered the works of Constable, Turner and Rembrandt. This impressed him and influenced his own work.  On returning to Melbourne he began studying for his fine arts degree. This brought him in close contact with some noted exponents of abstract and contemporary art in Australia, broadening his approached by focusing on the urban landscape and presenting it in a way unknown before. Three times winner of the coveted Camberwell Art Prize and twice winner of he Alice Bale award, this multi award-winning artist paints with an enthusiasm that is well recognized overseas as well as in Australia.

Apart from these notable prizes Herman has won approximately 90 major awards. In 1994 the National Taiwan art institute asked Herman to participate in a book and traveling exhibition with selected artists from Australia, USA and Taiwan. His works are featured in the books, ‘Australian Impressionist and Realist artists’, which was compiled by Tom Roberts; ‘120 Years of Watercolors’, by the Australian Realist Artists; ‘ Artists and Galleries of Australia and New Zealand’ by Max Germaine, and ‘Profile on contemporary Watercolors’. Herman’s works are represented in many private and corporate collections throughout Australia and overseas. Currently Herman holds sellout exhibitions annually in the USA.

Artist Statement

“I always had this conflict with myself thinking, ‘God, I’m only a traditional painter. It’s been done a hundred times before.’ And now I think, Well it has been done a hundred times before but if it has artistic integrity it doesn’t matter, and artistic integrity is something that’s very hard to explain. I don’t know how to put it, you see a painting and even though you know the subject and it’s been done a hundred times before, let’s say a plain old apple, it’s the way it’s painted, the feeling in the painting, the brush strokes, the paint quality, everything about it that sets it apart. Quite often modern work hits you with a bang but really it’s very shallow if it’s taken any further and quite often doesn’t stand the test of time.”

EXHIBITIONS

2012    Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Seaforth Australia (Group Show)
2011    Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Seaforth Australia (Group Show)
2010    Solander
2010    Lindberg
2010    Wollongong Regional Gallery, Group Show
2010    Gosford Regional Gallery, Group Show
2010    ‘Landscapes’, Group Show, Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Seaforth Australia
2009    Lindberg Contemporary
2009    Mosman Regional Gallery, Group Show
2009    Bathurst Regional Gallery, Group Show
2009    Castlemaine Regional Gallery, Group Show
2008    Lindberg Contemporary
2008    Caulfield Arts Complex, Group Show
2006    Grafton Regional Gallery, Group Show
2006    Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Seaforth Australia
2006    Greenhill Gallery
2006    Axia Modern Art
2004    Mahonies Gallery
2004    Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Seaforth Australia
2003    David Sumner Gallery
2002    Mahonies Gallery
2002    Artarmon Gallery, Group Show
2001    Mahonies Gallery
1998    Delshan Gallery
1994    Delshan Gallery
1994    Taiwan National Gallery, Group Show
1985    Von Bertoch Galleries
1985    Gould Gallery, Group Show
1983    Australian Galleries, Group Show
1983    Pinacothica Galleries
1979    Wiregrass Galleries
1978    Wiregrass Galleries
1974    Ordon Galleries

AWARDS

1995    Camberwell Rotary’s Gold Medal Watercolor Prize
1993    Camberwell Rotary’s Gold Medal Watercolor Prize & Alice Bale Award
1989    Camberwell Travel Grant and Rotary’s Gold Medal Watercolor Prize
1989    Alice Bale Award
1988    Wesley Art Judged by Director of the National Gallery
1987 & 83    Mountbatten Award

COLLECTIONS

Artbank
Eltham Shire Permanent Collection
National Leasing Collection-Canberra
Royal Overseas League-London
St. Kevin’s College-Toorak

BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS

Impressionist journey – by Douglas Stewart
Impressionist and realist artists of Australia – by Tom Roberts
Artists and Galleries of Australia and New Zealand – by Max Germaine
Melbourne Art Review
The Age – Robert Nelson