BORN 1952, Perth Western Australia

STUDIES
1968-69 Perth Technical College
1970-77 Professional musician

Background

Brendon Darby was born in Perth in 1952. He is both an outstanding and versatile artist and professional musician. He has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions worldwide for more than 35 years. His works are held in many public and private collections throughout Australia and overseas. In 2007 Brendon was invited to exhibit at New York’s American Museum of Natural History as part of G’Day USA. This was the premiere presentation of his 10 year project Listening to Paintings – Australia. The multi media event involved Brendon’s live musical presentation, film and 10 major paintings describing the Australian landscape. The night raised over one million dollars for the Australian environment. It was then presented in Houston, as part of Australia Day celebrations.

 SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1978 Rigby Gallery, Perth W.A.
1979 Way ’79 Celebration Invitation Allendale Square, Perth W.A.
1980 Signature Galleries, Perth W.A.
1981 Congress Hall, Tyrol Austria
1984 Alexander Galleries, Perth W.A.
1985 Alexander Galleries, Perth W.A.
1986 Ric’s Gallery, Perth W.A.
1987 Galleria Studio del Canova, Rome Italy
1987 Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1988 Framed, The Showcase Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1988 Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1989 Framed, The Showcase Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1989 Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1990 “Listening to Paintings – Kakadu”  Gallery Australia, Perth W.A.
1990 Park Road Gallery, Brisbane Qld
1991 Framed, The Showcase Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1991 Park Road Gallery, Brisbane Qld
1992 “Bloody Tourists”, Perth Galleries, Perth W.A.
1993 “Consuming Paintings”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
1995 Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
1995 Framed, The Darwin Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1996 Barry Newton Gallery, Adelaide S.A. (with Garry Duncan)
1996 Editions Gallery, Melbourne Vic.
1996 “From The Nannup Studio”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
1997 Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney N.S.W
1998 Barry Newton Gallery, Adelaide S.A.
1999 Framed – The Darwin Gallery, Darwin N.T.
1999 Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney N.S.W.
2000 Margaret River River Art Galleries W.A.
2000 “A Progress Report”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2000 “Jewels of the Landscape”, Michael Commerford  Gallery, Sydney N.S.W.
2001 “Ilma”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2002 “Ilma 2”, Michael Commerford Gallery, Sydney N.S.W.
2003 “This Summer”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2003 “Mitchell Falls”, Michael Commerford Gallery N.S.W
2004 “2 Rivers”, Stafford Studios, Perth WA
2005 “The Hawkesbury”, Michael Commerford Gallery N.S.W
2007 “Listening to Paintings – Australia”, Museum of Natural History, New York
2007 “Listening to Paintings – Australia”. Heritage Hall, JP, Morgan Chase Bank. Houston.
2007 “Listening to the Land”, Booker Lowe Gallery. Houston.
2008 “Two Journeys”, Linton & Kay Fine Art Gallery, Perth WA
2009 “Timelines and Tidelines”, The Milk Factory Gallery, Bowral NSW
2009 “BD’09”, Linton and Kay Fine Art Gallery, Perth WA
2010 “Window To New York”, Linton and Kay Fine Art Gallery, Perth WA
2011 “Brooklyn to Brooklyn”, Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney NSW
2014 “Hawkesbury Winter”, Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney NSW
2017 “Veils of Rome”, Harvey Galleries Mosman, Sydney NSW
2017 “Duet”,Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth WA
2018 “Coastlines and Train Lines”, Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth WA
2019 “Water Works”, Harvey Galleries, Seaforth, Sydney NSW
2020 “Avairy – Take Your Time”, Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth WA
2022 “A Kimberley Journey”,Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth WA
2023 “The South Coast – Trio”,Harvey Galleries, Sydney NSW

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1979 “Fine Artists of Western Australia” Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1988 “Alice Bale Art Award Exhibition” McClelland Gallery, Victoria
1989 “Deloitte Haskins Invitation Art Award”, Perth W.A.
1990 “Human Rights Exhibition”, Amnesty International, Darwin N.T.
1990 Glyde Gallery, Perth W.A.
1990 “The Painted Desert”, New Collectables Gallery, Perth W.A.
1990 “Deloitte Ross Tohmatsu Invitation Art Award”, Perth W.A.
1991 “Westrek Foundation Exhibition”, Gallery Australia Perth W.A.
1991 “West Australian Landscape”, Van Hall Gallery,  Perth W.A.
1991 “W.A. Research For Child Health Exhibition”, Accent Gallery, Perth W.A.
1991 “James Hardie Wildlife Art Prize”, Touring Exhibition, Australia
1991 “Four Western Australian Artists”, Cable Beach Resort Broome W.A.
1991 “Water Metamorphosis of the Medium”, Carillon, Perth
1992 “Resolutions”, New Collectables Gallery, Fremantle W.A.
1992 “One Hundred Years of Gold Mining”, Perth Mint W.A.
1992 Mandorla Art Award, Perth W.A.
1993 “The Best Of Australia”, Australian Showroom, Hong Kong
1994 “The Best Of Australia”, Australian Showroom, Hong Kong
1994 “Songs of the Possum”, Burswood Showroom, Perth W.A.
1994 Mandorla Art Award, Perth W.A.
1995 “The Best of Australia”, Australian Showroom, Hong Kong
1996 China Art Expo, Beijing
1996 Rottnest Exhibition, Rafferty’s, Perth W.A.
1996 Mandorla Art Award, Perth W.A.
1998 Royal Agricultural Society. Winner Open Art Award
2001 Archibald Portrait Prize, Finalist.  Gallery of N.S.W.
2001 “New Vision”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2003 “Fire’s On”, Stafford Studios, Perth W.A.
2003 Speech & Hearing Exhibition. Featured Artist  (Donated Painting) Burswood Convention Centre Perth W.A.
2003 “Bali Commemorative Exhibition” Royal Perth Hospital, Perth W.A.
2004 Cossack Art Award. Winner – Invited Artists
2004 Salon des Refuses, National Trust S.H. Ervin Gallery NSW,  (Portrait of Kim Beazley)
2005 “Stop the Toad” Rafferty’s Gallery. Perth WA.
2006 Yallingup Galleries Easter exhibition
2006 “The Nude” Elements Art Gallery. Perth W.A.
2007 “Western Australian Landscape Paintings”, Yallingup Galleries. Artopia. Stafford Studios. Perth W.A.
2012 “About This Place”, The Holmes a Court Gallery at Vasse Felix, Cowaramup,WA
2015 Deloitte Spring Rose Art Exhibition – Featured artist (Capel Vale Wines Award)
2016 Grantfield Design Studios & Gallery of Fine Art, Anghiari, Tuscany, Italy
2016 Perth Portrait Prize – Finalist”, Art Gallery of WA.
2020 Plein Air Down Under- Winner Professional Category presented by City of Mandurah
2021 West Society of the Arts, 125th Anniversary Exhibition “Best in Show” Award
2021 Plein Air Down Under – Winner Professional Category, presented by the City of Mandurah
2023 “Duet 2” (with Ian Dickinson), Yallingup Galleries, Yallingup WA
2023 Collie Art Prize – Finalist                                   

COLLECTIONS

J.P. Morgan Bank
Challenge Bank
Media Portfolio Limited
Town and Country Building Society
IBM Australia Ltd
Woodside Offshore Petroleum Pty Ltd
Richard Ellis International Property Consultants
Allied Corporation Pty Ltd
City of Stirling Collection
Bunbury Regional Art Gallery
Tony Barlow Collection
Rodilli Collection, Rome
Coldhurst Collection, Great Britain
Daleski Collection, U.S.A.
Dr Richard Blum Collection, Switzerland
Burlington Paintings, London
Chevron Asiatic Ltd
Leeuwin Estate
Duxton Hotel, Perth
Amcor Ltd
St John of God Hospital
Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd
Alinta Gas
Guilford Grammar
Scotch College
Edwards Thompson Solicitors
Evans & Tate
Janet Holmes a Court Collection
Many private collections throughout Australia and overseas

PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS

Include chairmen of the Perth Building Society and the Freemen of the City of Stirling.
ECU Vice Chancellor Kerry Cox (2014)

The Yandicoogina Commission

In August 1998 Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd announced the commissioning of a collection of paintings to commemorate the opening of the new mine, “Yandicoogina” in March 1999. Brendon was flown to the Pilbara in September and spent time painting, drawing and photographing the landscape around Yandicoogina. The next 5 months were spent working on the larger paintings in his North Perth studio. The resulting 16 major works became part of the Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd collection, which is now the Rio Tinto collection.

“2018” Everyday iPad Painting

Brendon Darby painted everyday of 2018 on his iPad Pro. He painted whatever captured his attention on any given day. World events, very personal moments, anything that inspired him was captured and resulted in an evolving digital film. This groundbreaking artwork which runs for 3 hours 50 minutes, is a world first.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Artists and Galleries of Australia”, Max Germaine
“Arteffects”, Jean Drysdale – Green. Watson – Guptill Publications, New York An educational video “Brendon Darby Painting In Oils”, produced by the Western Australian College of Advanced Education.
“Songs of the Possum”, Bill Mather-Brown. Sundowner Press 1994
“Listening to Paintings- Kakadu”, CD/Book published by Audio Art 1995
“Mitchell Falls”, DVD produced by Audio Art
“Listening to Paintings- Australia” DVD/CD produced by Audio Art 2007