+61 2 9907 0595
Delivery from $80
Worldwide Shipping Available
Free Pickup from Seaforth NSW
Previous
Next
Back to all artists

Ken Done

Haven't found what you're looking for?

Contact a consultant about other ways to acquire an artist's artwork.

Get in touch

Visually Similar

Since his first solo exhibition in 1980, Ken Done has become one of Australia’s most famous artists. His work has been described as the most original style to come out of Australia, and his paintings are in collections throughout the world.

Born 29 June, 1940, in Sydney, Ken left school at 14 to enter the National Art School in East Sydney. After 5 years study, he commenced a highly successful career as an art director and designer in New York, London and Sydney.

At the age of 40, after painting for many years, he gave up his advertising career to become a painter full-time. Since then, he has held over 50 one-man shows, including major exhibitions in Australia, Europe, Japan and the USA. His works have been shown in the Archibald, Sulman, Wynne, Blake, and Dobell Prizes.

In 1991, a major touring exhibition in Japan attracted over 200,000 visitors. The artist’s first European exhibition was held in Paris in 1996, to great acclaim, and in 2000 the art of Ken Done was successfully premiered in both Los Angeles and London.

Major projects in a very diverse career include the painting of a BMW Artcar, and the total decorative scheme for the Garden Restaurant at the Powerhouse Museum, in Sydney. In 1994, a major retrospective of Ken Done’s work “Ken Done: the art of design” was mounted by the Powerhouse Museum. In 2002 the Museum acquired his commercial art and design archive of more than 300 items.

In 1988, Hanako, a Tokyo fashion and lifestyle magazine, was launched, and featured a Ken Done painting on the cover every week for over 15 years. In 1999, Done was asked to create a series of works for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies programs of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Ken’s paintings became the creative source of a unique, and highly successful Australian business which continues to promote Australian art and design to a world-wide audience. In 1993, Ken, together with his wife Judy, won the Fashion Industries of Australia’s Grand Award for Fashion.

Although he has worked extensively for many charitable organisations, the welfare of underprivileged children has always been a special concern of Ken’s. Father of the Year in 1989, Ken Done has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1988.

Ken received the Order of Australia (A.M.), for services to Art, Design and Tourism in 1992. In many parts of the world, Ken Done has come to symbolise Australia and Australians: creative, optimistic and bold.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1980  Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney Australia
1981  Art Directors Gallery, Sydney Australia
1982  Art Directors Gallery, Sydney Australia
1983  Art Directors Gallery, Sydney Australia
Queensland College of Art Gallery, Brisbane Australia
1984  Art Directors Gallery, Sydney Australia
1985  Art Directors Gallery, Sydney Australia
Bonython-Meadmore Gallery, Adelaide Australia
Chapman Gallery, Canberra Australia
1986  Gallery Tamon, Tokyo Japan
1987  Black Swan Gallery, Fremantle Australia
Bonython-Meadmore Gallery, Adelaide Australia
Chapman Gallery, Canberra Australia
Mt Gambier Gallery,
Mt Gambier Australia Orange City Centre, Orange Australia
1988  Bridgewater Mill, Adelaide Australia Hilton, Cairns Australia
Seibu Ikebukuro Art Gallery, Tokyo Japan
1989  Chapman Gallery, Canberra Australia
Moore Park Gallery, Sydney Australia
Yomiyuri Shimbun/Seiko Instruments Exhibition, Laforet Museum, Tokyo Japan
1990  Aces Gallery, Tokyo Japan
Amics Gallery, Tokyo Japan
Art Gallery of Yokohama Takashimaya, Yokohama Japan
Ciel Gallery, Tochigi Japan
Gallery Tamon, Tokyo Japan
Caulfield Arts Complex, Melbourne Australia
Geelong Art Gallery, Geelong Australia
Mildura Art Gallery, Mildura Australia
1990-91 Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
1991  Shinsegae Gallery, Seoul Korea
Daimaru Museum, Tokyo Japan
Daimaru Museum Umeda, Tokyo Japan
Shimonoseki Daimaru, Shimonoseki Japan
Hakata Daimaru, Fukuoka Japan
Nagasaki Daimaru, Nagasaki Japan
Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly Australia
1992  Lewers Bequest and Penrith Regional Art Gallery, Emu Plains Australia
Tamworth City Art Gallery, Tamworth Australia
Moree Plains Gallery, Moree Australia
Orange Regional Gallery, Orange Australia
Keihan Gallery of Arts and Science, Moriuchi City Japan
Lake Macquarie Regional Gallery, Lake Macquarie Australia
Grafton Art Gallery, Grafton Australia
Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Griffith Australia
Adelaide Loft Concept Space, Adelaide Australia
1993  Broken Hill City Art Gallery, Broken Hill Australia
Moore Park Gallery, Sydney Australia
Chapman Gallery, Canberra Australia
Horsham Art Gallery, Horsham Australia
Izumizaki Museum and Art Gallery, Izumizaki Japan
Sogetsu Plaza, Sogetsu Keihan, Tokyo Japan
1994  Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly Australia
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
1994-95 The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Australia
1995 Westpac Gallery, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne Australia
1996  Galerie Scot, Paris France
Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Cairns Australia
Wangaratta Exhibitions Gallery, Wangaratta Australia
Latrobe Regional Art Gallery, Morwell Australia
1997  Australia Centre, Manila Philippines
Millicent Gallery, Millicent Australia
Riddoch Art Gallery, Mount Gambier Australia
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise Australia
Warrnambool Art Gallery, Warrnambool Australia
Latrobe University Museum, Bundoora Australia
Solander Gallery, Yarralumla Australia
1998  Horsham Art Gallery, Horsham Australia
Orange Regional Gallery, Orange Australia
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
1999  Grafton Regional Gallery, Grafton Australia
Gallery on Seven, David Jones Elizabeth Street, Sydney Australia
2000  Ellen Kim Murphy Gallery, Los Angeles USA
Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London UK
Sogetsu Plaza, Sogetsu Keihan, Tokyo Japan
Nahan Plaza, Hanamaki City Japan
Mosman Art Gallery and Cultural Centre, Mosman Australia
Stafford Studios of Fine Art, Cottesloe Australia
2001  One Bush Street, San Francisco USA
Pilbara Fine Art Gallery, Karratha Australia Volvo Showroom,
Stockholm Sweden Johyun Gallery, Pusan Korea
2002  Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London UK
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
2003  44 Gurner Street, Sydney Australia
The Blue Dot Gallery, Toronto Canada
Xanadu Fine Art Gallery, Margaret River, Australia
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
2004  The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London UK
2005  Stafford Studios of Fine Art, Cottesloe Australia
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane Australia
2006  The Cooper Gallery, Noosa Australia
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
2006-07 IXL Masterpiece Fine Art Gallery, Hobart Australia
2007  Stafford Studios of Fine Art, Cottesloe Australia
Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London UK
2008  Grafton Regional Gallery, Grafton Australia
2009  The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
2010  The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
The Dragon, Hangzhou China
2011  The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney Australia
The Balman Gallery,   Corbridge UK
Cyclone Gallery, Melbourne Australia
Solander Gallery, Yarralumla Australia
2012  Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2013  Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah Australia
Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth Australia
2014  Johyun Gallery, Busan Korea
Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney Australia
Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth Australia
2015 The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2016 The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Rockhampton Art Gallery, Rockhampton, Australia
2017 Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth, Australia
The Ken Done Gallery, Sydney ,Australia
Gallery One, Gold Coast, Australia
2018 Harvey Galleries Mosman, Australia
2019 Harvey Galleries Mosman, Australia
2020 Harvey Galleries Mosman, Australia
2022 Harvey Galleries, Australia
2023 Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth Australia

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1978  The Blake Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1979  The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1982 The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1984  The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
The Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1985  The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1986  The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1987  The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1989  Art Cars, The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Australia
1990  Alice 125, Melbourne Australia
1992  Artseen, The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington New Zealand
The Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
Artists in Aid of Animals, Australian Democrats
1992 Endangered Species 
Campaign, Perth, Sydney, Canberra, Australia
1993  The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
The Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
The Wynne Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
The Dobell Prize for Drawing, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1994  The Wynne Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1995  The Wynne Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
The Dobell Prize for Drawing, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
1999  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Clean Up Australia, The Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2000  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2001  The Sulman Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
Salon des Refusés, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney Australia
The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists Supporting Animal Preservation, Taronga Zoo Foundation, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2002  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2003  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2004  Salon des Refusés, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney Australia
The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Australian Visions: Art from Down Under, Mudanjiang Art Museum, Mudanjiang China
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2005  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2006  Salon des Refusés, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney Australia
The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2007  Gana Art Gallery, Seoul Korea
The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2008  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2009  Reflections of Australia, Hongrun Huaxia Hotel, Zhengzhou China
The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Taronga Artists Camp: Artists in Residence, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2009-10 Idle Hours, The National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Australia
2010 The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2011 The Archibald Prize, AGNSW, Sydney Australia
2011-12 Archibald Prize Regional Tour: Tarra Warra Museum of Art, Healsville Australia
Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah Australia
Moree PLains Gallery, Moree Australia
Lake Macquarie City Gallery, Lake Macquarie Australia
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Casula Australia
Orange Regional Gallery, Orange Australia
Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree
2011  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
2012  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Australian Artists and the Sydney Opera House, Utzon Centre, Aalborg Denmark
2013  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Utzon’s Opera House, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Holiday and memory-20th Century Australia at play, Penrith Regional Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Artists of Mosman, 2088 Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Naked and Nude, Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, Australia
2014  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney Australia
Patternation, Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne, Australia
Art = My Automolove, Caboolture Regional Art Gallery, Caboolture, Australia
Artists of Mosman: 2088, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Face 2 Face, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, Australia 
2016 GQ Iconic Artist
2019 Finalist of the Wynne Prize
2022 Harvey Galleries, Australia
Australiana: Designing a Nation, Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo Australia
Bank of America 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition with 3.33 Art Projects, Sydney Australia
A Line A Web A World, Powerhouse Ultimo, Sydney Australia

AWARDS
1967 Cannes Gold Lion Award
1973  Gold and Silver A.W.A.R.D.S.
1974  D. & A.D. Awards 
O.A.A.A. Award
1975  Melbourne A.D.C. Awards
1976  Caxton Award
1977  F.A.C.T.S. Award
1986  New South Wales Tourism Award
1987  Finalist, BHP Awards for the Pursuit of Excellence
1989 Father of the Year
1992  Order of Australia (A.M.) for services to Art, Design and Tourism
1993  Fashion Industries of Australia Grand Award
Mosman Citizen of the Year
Rotary International Award for Excellence
Spirit of Australia Award for excellence in the Australian Arts
1994  Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International
1999 Westpac Export Heroes Award, Australian Institute of Export
Finalist, Business Asia Awards
Fellow of Design Institute of Australia (Hon)
2001  Finalist, Business Star Awards
2002  Powerhouse Museum Life Fellow
Bachelor of Design (Hon), Sydney Graphics College
2007 The Japanese Foreign Minister’s Award 2013 Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame

REPRESENTED
Bega Valley Regional Gallery, Bega, Australia
Benalla Art Gallery, Benalla, Australia
Broken Hill City Art Gallery, Broken Hill, Australia
Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns, Australia
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Casula, Australia
Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Gold Coast, Australia
Grafton Art Gallery, Grafton, Australia
Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Griffith, Australia
Harvey Galleries, Seaforth, Australia
Horsham Art Gallery, Horsham, Australia
Ipswich Art Gallery, Ipswich, Australia
Lake Macquarie Regional Gallery, Lake Macquarie, Australia
Maitland Art Gallery, Maitland, Australia
Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly, Australia
Manning Regional Art Gallery, Taree, Australia
Moree Plains Regional Gallery, Moree, Australia
Mosman Art Gallery, Mosman, Australia
Murray Art Museum, Albury, Australia
National Maritime Museum, Sydney, Australia
National Museum of Australia, Canberra, Australia
New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale, Australia
Nolan Gallery, Lanyon, Canberra, Australia
Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, Australia
Outback Regional Gallery, Winton, Australia
Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra, Australia
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Australia
Redcliffe City Art Gallery, Moreton Bay, Australia
Riddoch Art Gallery, Mount Gambier, Australia
Rockhampton Art Gallery, Rockhampton, Australia
Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Stanthorpe, Australia
Suntory Collection, Tokyo, Japan
Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, Sydney, Australia
Tamworth City Gallery, Tamworth, Australia
The National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, Australia
The Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia
Toowoomba Regional Gallery, Toowoomba, Australia
Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah, Australia
University of Tasmania, Fine Arts Collection, Hobart, Australia
Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo, Australia

Photo Credit: James Geer

About Harvey Galleries

Harvey Galleries was founded by the Harvey family in 1994 with an eye to establish a dynamic and inclusive contemporary art space on the North Shore of Sydney. For almost three decades we have expanded our reach to over three gallery locations and an ever expanding stable of the best artists Australia has to offer.

Keep in touch
Subscribe to receive the latest news and upcoming exhibitions
Facebook-f Instagram

Harvey Galleries acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands upon which our galleries stand. The Guringai people (Seaforth), the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation (Sydney), and the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation (Melbourne).

We pay our respect to Elders past and present.

Get notified first

Always be the first to know about exhibitions, events and new art releases.