Robyn Sweaney

ROBYN SWEANEY

Robyn Sweaney is an artist based in Mullumbimby situated on the far North Coast of NSW. Sweaney’s art practice excavates the complexities of Australian identity and place by responding to the suburban mundane of rural and urban environments. She is drawn to the quirkiness of the Australian landscape and is interested in how homes and streetscapes function as aesthetic incarnations of the belief structures influencing human behaviours on emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels. Over the years her practice has also included still life, landscape and portraiture and currently focuses on the coast, rural Australia and revisiting the still life. Sweaney has been the finalist of major awards including in the Wynne Prize, Sulman Prize, Portia Geach Memorial Award, Moran Portrait Prize, Salon Des Refusés, Tattersall’s Landscape Prize, Fleurieu Art Prize, Mosman Art Prize, Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Paddington Art Prize and the Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Prize (JADA). In 2019 she was awarded the Trustees Watercolour Award in the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. In 2016 her paintings were exhibited in the Popular Pet Show exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra and her painting The Promise won the Alan Gamble award at the Mosman Art Gallery. Her work is held in public and private collections throughout Australia, such as The State Library of NSW, Artbank, The Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, Stanthorpe, Grafton and Lismore Regional Galleries

Solo Exhibitions

2023 Paradise Lost Anthea Polson Art, Main Beach, Qld
2022 Living On The Edge, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2021 Long Road Home Anthea Polson Art, Main Beach, Qld
2020 Hidden In Plain Sight Arthouse Gallery, NSW
2019 Dwell May 24 – July 21 Tweed Regional Gallery, NSW
2018 Backwards Moving Forwards Arthouse Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2018 The Nature Of Things Anthea Polson Art, Main Beach, QLD
2017 The Summer That Was Arthouse Gallery, Sydney NSW
2016 Fade To Blue, Anthea Polson Art, QLD
2016 Looking Sideways, Heading West Arthouse Gallery, Sydney NSW
2013 Topia Anthea Polson Art, Main Beach, QLD
2013 A Quiet Obsession…Mrs Violet Frisby Sheffer Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2013 Finding Mrs Frisby Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW
2011 Road Trip, from here to there and places in-between Anthea Polson Art, Main Beach, QLD
2009 New Work Iain Dawson Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2007 Emoh Ruo Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2006 The House Beautiful Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2004 A Rose Is A Rose Portland Bay Press, Portland, VIC.
2003 Sub Rosa Series Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW.
2003 Sub Rosa Grafton Regional Gallery, Grafton, NSW.
1994 From My Life At Home Griffith Fine Art Gallery, Condong, NSW
1992 Connections Cape Gallery, Byron Bay, NSW

Residencies

2019 Police Point Artist in Residence Program, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
2017 The June Hedditch Studio Apartments Residency, The Arts Company, Portland, Victoria
2008 Hill End Artists In Residence Program – Murray’s Cottage, May-June
2004 The June Hedditch studio-apartments @ The Arts Company, Portland, Victoria

Awards and Grants

2019 Winner – Trustees’ Watercolour Prize, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of NSW
2017 Highly Commended – Tattersall’s Club Landscape Prize
2016 Allan Gamble Memorial Award – Mosman Art Prize
2015 Honourable Mention – Paddington Art Prize, Selected Finalist
2011 Highly Commended – Paddington Art Prize, Selected Finalist
2010 Highly Commended – The Northern Rivers Portrait Prize, Stanthorpe Art Festival (Acquired)
2009 Highly Commended – Country Energy Landscape Prize
2008 Runner Up – Border Art Prize, Open
2008 Quick Turnaround Grant, NSW Regional Arts
2007 Open Prize – St Johns Art Festival
2007 Second Prize, Watercolour. Third prize, Works on Paper  – Southern Cross Arts Festival
2006 NAVA Marketing Grant – Exhibition Catalogue
2005 First Prize, Painting – Southern Cross Arts Festival
2005 First Prize, Miniatures  – Southern Cross Arts Festival.
2003 First Prize, Mixed Media – Southern Cross Arts Festival.
2003 Commended – Pink Poodle Art Prize, Bond University Gallery.
2002 Highly Commended, Printmaking – Southern Cross Arts Festival.
2002 Highly Commended, Painting – Border Art Prize, Tweed Regional Art Gallery.
2001 Highly Commended, Painting – St Hilda’s Festival of Arts.
2001 First Prize, Painting – Southern Cross Arts Festival.
2000 Second Prize, Printmaking – Byron Easter Art Classic.
1998 Local’s Award – Byron Print Prize. Barebones Art Space.

Professional Experience and Qualifications

2011-2015 Education and Audience Development Officer, Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah
2009-2011 Part-Time Teacher of Fine Arts, TAFE, Lismore and Murwillumbah Campus’s
2007 Radio Conversation on Emoh Ruo exhibition, By Design, ABC Radio National
2006-2002 Co-Director and Curator c.a.s.e. Inc @ Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby
2003 Radio Program…The language of flowers… ABC Radio North Coast.
2003 Certificate IV. Assessment & Workplace Training, NCI, TAFE
1978 B.Ed. Arts and Crafts. State College of Victoria at Melbourne.

Collections

Art Bank
State Library of NSW
HOTA Home Of The Arts
Gold Coast University Hospital Collection
Grafton Regional Art Gallery
Lismore Regional Art Gallery
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Centre, NSW
Mater Hospital, Sydney
Southern Downs Regional Art Collection, Stanthorpe
Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Ballina Shire Council, NSW
Private collections in Australia and overseas

Group exhibitions and selected shows

2023 Lost In Palm Springs – National touring exhibition curated by Dr Greer Honeywill – Launched at HOTA, Qld  March 11.
2022 Salon des Refuses (finalist), S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2022 Ravenswood Art Prize (finalist) Sydney, NSW
2022 Flood Relief – Spread the Love Arthouse Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2022 Police Point Artist In Residence Exhibition, Point Nepean, VIC
2021 Salon des Refuses (finalist), S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney NSW
2021 HOTA COLLECTS, Australia’s Playground: Art on the Gold Coast, HOTA, QLD
2021 I Am Here, Group exhibition, Arthouse Gallery, NSW
2021 The Police Point Air Retrospective exhibition, Mornington Peninsula, VIC
2020 Christmas At Tedder Avenue, Anthea Polson Art, QLD
2020 The Hurfurd Hardwood Portrait Prize, (finalist), Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2020 Suburban Portrait, Weswal Gallery, Tamworth, NSW
2020 Summer, Group exhibition, Arthouse Gallery, NSW
2020 Sydney Contemporary, Arthouse Gallery, NSW
2020 MPRG:Fifty, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, VIC
2020 You Are Here: Art Of The Region, Tweed regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, NSW
2020 FOUND! Studio Dog, Bundaberg Regional Gallery, QLD
2019 LOVE, Tweed Regional Art Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, NSW
2019 Reflections Of A Fading Sky, Arthouse Gallery, NSW
2019 Portia Geach Memorial Art Award, S.H.Ervin National Trust Gallery, NSW
2019 Tattersall’s Club Landscape Prize, Invited Finalist, Brisbane QLD
2019 Korean-Australian Art Prize (KAAP), Selected Finalist, Sydney NSW
2019 The Wynne Prize for Landscape, Selected Finalist, AGNSW, Sydney
2018 Tattersall’s Club Landscape Prize, Invited Finalist, Brisbane QLD
2018 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, Selected Finalist, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW
2018 Salon des Refuses, S.H.Ervin National Trust Gallery, Sydney NSW
2018 Under The Sun, Group exhibition, Arthouse Gallery, NSW
2018 Three Decades: Celebrating the Tweed Regional Gallery collection, Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Art Olley Centre, NSW
2018 New Galleries, collection exhibition, State Library NSW
2018 BAM Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Thomgallery, Byron Bay, NSW
2017 The Wynne Prize for Landscape, Selected Finalist, AGNSW, Sydney
2017 Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, Selected Finalist, Bendigo Art Gallery, VIC
2016 Artist’s Choice, Anthea Polson Art, QLD
2016 The Popular Pet Show, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra ACT (until 13 March 2017)
2016 Salon des Refuses, S.H.Ervin National Trust Gallery, Sydney NSW
2016 Anthea Polson Art Comes To Melbourne, Menzies Art Rooms, Toorak VIC
2015 Paddington Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Sydney NSW
2015 Precious Things Come In Small Parcels, Anthea Polson Art, QLD
2015 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2015 Tattersall’s Club Landscape Prize, Invited Finalist, Brisbane QLD
2015 Mosman Art Prize, Selected Finalist, NSW
2015 Australia Fair, Lismore Regional Gallery NSW
2015 Unfolding Splendour, Arthouse Gallery, Sydney NSW
2015 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, touring exhibition
2015 The Garden Show, Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby NSW
2014 Miniatures, Anthea Polson Art, Qld
2014 Gold Coast Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Gold Coast City Art Gallery Qld
2014 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, Selected Finalist, Grafton Regional Gallery NSW
2014 Salon des Refuses, S.H.Ervin National Trust Gallery, NSW
2014 Gallipoli Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Gallipoli Memorial Club, NSW
2013 The Colour Red, Anthea Polson Art, Qld
2013 Portia Geach Memorial Art Award, S.H.Ervin National Trust Gallery, NSW
2013 Fleurieu Art Prize, McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Peninsula, SA
2013 Salon des Refuses, S.H.Ervin National Trust Gallery, NSW
2013 The Northern Rivers Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW
2012 The Artist Revealed – Christmas Self Portrait Exhibition, Anthea Polson Art, Qld
2012 Gallipoli Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Gallipoli Memorial Club, NSW
2012 Salon des Refuses, S.H.Ervin Gallery, NSW
2012 Northern Rivers Portrait Prize, Selected Finalist, Lismore Regional Gallery
2011 8 Days Before Christmas, Anthea Polson Art, Qld
2011 Paddington Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Sydney.
2011 The Wynne Prize for Landscape, Selected Finalist, AGNSW, Sydney
2011 The Tattersall’s Club Landscape Prize, Brisbane
2011 The Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Selected Finalist, Sydney
2011 The Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize, Selected Finalist, PLC, Sydney
2011 The Australian Character, Works from the collection, Tweed River Art Gallery Murwillumbah
2010 Christmas Portrait Exhibition, Anthea Polson Art, Qld
2010 Paddington Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Sydney.
2010 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, Finalist, Grafton Regional Gallery.
2010 Salon Des Refuses, Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah.
2010 The Distance Between Knowing and Not Knowing, Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby.
2010 The Industralists, Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah, NSW
2010 The Mosman Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Mosman Art Gallery.
2010 Northern Rivers Portrait Prize, Selected Finalist, Lismore Regional Gallery.
2010 Salon Des Refuses, S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney.
2010 Stanthorpe Art Festival, Selected Finalist, Stanthorpe Regional Gallery, Qld
2010 Countryscapes, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney
2009 Special First Christmas Exhibition, Anthea Polson Art, Qld
2009 Sulman Prize, Selected Finalist, AGNSW, Sydney
2009 Salon Des Refuses, S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2009 Paddington Art Prize, Finalist, Sydney.
2009 The Mosman Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Mosman Art Gallery.
2009 EMSLA, Still Life Award, Selected Finalist, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
2009 Country Energy Art Prize – Landscape Painting, Finalist, Lismore Regional Gallery.
2009 About a Tree, Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW
2009 The Collectors Paradise Show, Northern Rivers Community Gallery, Ballina, NSW
2009 Industrialists, Group show, QDOS Gallery, Lorne, Victoria.
2009 Hot In The City, Iain Dawson Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
2008 HOME, Selected Exhibition, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW.
2008 EMSLA, Still Life Award, Selected Finalist, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
2008 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, Finalist, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW.
2008 ArtPost, ABC TV & Regional Arts, Web profile – https://www.abc.net.au/tv/artpost/
2008 Wish You Were Here, Friends Exhibition, Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah
2008 Mosman Art Prize Exhibition, Selected Finalist, Mosman Gallery, Sydney
2008 Solstice, a winter exhibition, Tim Olsen Gallery, Woollahra
2008 Salon Des Refuses, Tweed River Art Gallery, Murwillumbah
2008 2 X 2, Tim Olsen Gallery, Woollahra
2008 Salon Des Refuses, S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2008 Countryscapes, The Gunnery, Woolloomooloo, Sydney
2007 Country Energy Art Prize for Landscape Painting, Selected Finalist, Dubbo Regional Gallery
2007 EMSLA, Still Life Award, Selected Finalist, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery
2007 Hutchins Art Prize, Selected Finalist, Tasmania
2007 MacarthurCook Art Awards, Selected Finalist, Melbourne
2007 Solstice, a winter exhibition, Tim Olsen Gallery, Woollahra
2007 Prometheus Art Exhibition, Selected Finalist, Qld
2007 JADA Traveling Exhibition, Tamworth Regional Gallery
2007 Come Hither: Interpretations of the Boudoir Wagga Wagga Art Gallery
2006 x 25, Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby
2006 AusGallery NSW, Australian Government Trade Commission promotion DVD
2006 Local Art, LRG, Byron Bay Writers Festival, Byron Bay
2006 FEHVA Exhibition and Auction, Byron Bay Community Centre, Byron Bay. NSW
2006 Identity, Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW.
2005 Countryscapes 2005, Parliament of NSW Fountain Court Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2005 Finalist. Country Energy Art Prize for Landscape Painting, Grafton Regional Gallery
2005 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize Exhibition, Wagga Wagga Regional Gallery, NSW
2005 FEHVA Exhibition and Auction, Byron Bay Community Center, Byron Bay. NSW
2005 Print Night. Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW
2005 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, Ken Done Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2005 c.a.s.e. unpacked. Tweed River Gallery, Murwillumbah, NSW.
2005 man’s best friend. next contemporary art space, SC University, Lismore.
2004 JADA, Jacaranda Drawing Prize, Finalist, Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW.
2004 Lismore Regional Treasures, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW.
2004 Chapter 11, an Artists Book Exhibition, Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW.
2003 The Inaugural Print Night. Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW.
2003 Postcard Show. Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW.
2003 Jaffa. Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW.
2003 Pink Poodle Art Prize, Bond University Gallery, QLD
2002 Art as Investment. Lismore Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2002 Erotica [e], Print Portfolio,Lismore Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2002 Doors of Perception. Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW.
2001 First Show Pieces. Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW.
2000 Smalls. Waywood Gallery, Byron Bay, NSW.
2000 Recent Work -TAFE Art Teachers. Lismore Regional Art Gallery,
1998 Byron Printmaking Prize Show. Barebones Art Space, Bangalow.
1996 Colours of Summer. Mary-Jo Voight Fine Art Gallery, Sydney.
1996 Still Life. Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage, QLD.
1995 The Byron Bay Exhibition. A.R.T. Gallery, Balgowlah, Sydney
1995 Australian Women Artists. Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage, QLD.
1994 The Art of Still Life. Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage, QLD.
1993 The Art of Pastel. Art Galleries Schubert, Marina Mirage, QLD.

Reproduced – Published

2018 Artist Profile, Issue 42.  Process – Robyn Sweaney.
2013 The Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum.  More than face value – Salon Des Refuse, John McDonald
2012 Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum. Salon de Refuse, John McDonald
2011 The Gold Coast Bulletin, Artworld.  No Place Like Home, Marina Saint Martin
2011 The Art Life.  A Platform For Legends, Sharne Wolff
2011 The Northern Star.  Mrs Frisby’s Brush With Fame, Dominic Feain
2009 Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum. Open Gallery,  Lissa Christopher
2009 All the way home: poetry from Byron Bay and beyond, edited by Laura Jan Shore & Bev Sweeney; illustrated by Robyn Sweaney, Dangerously Poetic Press, Byron Bay, NSW.
2009 Arts Northern Rivers, VAN Report. Case study, Melitta Firth
2009 Sunday Arts – ABC TV, Episode 16.
2009 Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum. When losers are winners – Salon Des Refuse, John McDonald
2009 The Northern Star, Art Speak. Lismore Hosts The Country Energy Art Prize, Steven Alderton
2009 Northern Star.  The Border Art Prize, Nerida Woolley
2008 Tweed Sun.  Moobal Mastery
2008 Byron Shire Echo article & photo pg 7 Jeff Dawson
2008 Sydney Morning Herald, Spectrum. Full Of Life, Still Or Otherwise,  John McDonald
2008 ArtPost, ABC TV & Regional Arts, Web profile – Photos & interview with David Batty from Rebel films Link Here
2008 North Coast ARTS Quarterly, Summer.  Artist Profile, Sonia Caeiro
2007 Radio National, By Design, Conversation, “House Painter” Link Here
2007 Beyond Region: Public Galleries In NSW, published by Arts NSW, M7GNSW and the Australia Council
2007 Visual Arts Network News. Van Speed Dating: First Cabs Off The Rank! Melitta Firth
2007 Australian Art Collector.  Tim Olsen Gets Serious, Carmel Dwyer
2007 artReach Magazine article pg 6 Melitta Firth
2006 The House Beautiful, Lisa Byrne, Lismore Regional Gallery exhibition catalogue essay
2006 The Northern Star.  A Year Of Art, Steven Gives Us His Top Ten, Steven Alderton
2006 North Coast Arts Quarterly article pg.4, Rosie Lee
2006 Byron Shire Echo article pg 5, Louise Beaumont
2006 The Northern Star.  A Brushstroke In Time, Steven Alderton
2006 Byron Shire Echo article pg 29, Mandy Nolan
2006 The Northern Star.  Is It A Book? Candida Baker
2006 Northern Rivers Arts Quarterly (spring) reproduced pg 8 & back cover
2006 Northern Rivers Arts Quarterly (summer) reproduced pg 1
2005 Summer Issue: Northern Rivers Arts Quarterly reproduced pg 13
2005 The Northern Star. reproduced pg 87, Fiona Bennell
2005 Byron Shire Echo article back page
2004 Portland Observer article pg 10, Josh Nash
2003 Byron Shire Echo article Jeff Dawson
2003 Byron Shire Echo article Press
2003 Byron Shire Echo article Press
2003 The Northern Star article Press
2003 Byron Shire Echo article pg 5 Press
2003 Clarence Life reproduced pg 25 Press
2001 Byron Shire Echo article pg 1 Carol Page
1997 Byron Shire Echo reproduced pg 40
1997 Byron Shire Echo reproduced pg 1
1994 Weekend Review article pg 14 Audrey Chapman
1994 Byron Shire Echo article pg 23 Press
1993 Byron Shire Echo article pg 25 Press
1992 The Northern Star article pg 11 Stephanie Dale