Contemplating Art: Euan Macleod

Euan Macleod is an extraordinary painter who has exhibited widely in Australia and New Zealand. His work is represented in many private and public collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, and the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Euan was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and currently lives and works in Sydney. His practice is studio based although his love of painting en-plain air takes him around the globe capturing all facets of life standing still. Euan is represented by Niagara Galleries in Melbourne.

In the 1970’s Euan completed a Certificate in Graphic Design at Christchurch Technical Institute and a Diploma of Fine Arts (Painting) at the Canterbury University, Christchurch. He moved to Sydney in 1981, held his first solo exhibition in 1982 at Watters Gallery in Darlinghurst and has exhibited consistently ever since.

Euan has been the recipient of many prestigious awards such as the 1999 Archibald Prize, the 2001 Sulman Prize, the 2006 Blake Prize and the 2009 Gallipoli Art Prize. Euan won the Archibald with a work titled Self-portrait/head like a hole, his first appearance in the acclaimed prize. The work is now in the collection of the University of Technology in Sydney.

Euan’s practice is concerned with the natural landscape and the human presence within it. His figures are often oversized and looming in context, shadowy and ghostlike at times. The dense, textured and sculptural use of paint is also a recognisable and consistent feature in his work.

Join the conversation with Euan Macleod and MPRG Director Danny Lacy to learn more about Euan’s love for the Mornington Peninsula and his expressive, powerful compositions that are rich in symbolism. Beyond the imagery in his work, Euan prefers not to explain too much ‘because it limits the way people read the painting. I like people to make their own assumptions’.

The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery has seven of Euan’s work in their collection, 2 of which are currently on display at MPRG.