Melbourne based painter Rhys Lee is known for his richly coloured and mysteriously evocative portraits. A well-recognised contemporary Australian artist, Lee has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and has made frequent appearances in exhibitions locally, nationally and internationally.
Lee’s work is highly collectable and held in private and public collections in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia, including Artbank, BHP Billiton and the National Gallery of Australia.
For this new series of works, Jungle Rum Rumble, he has referred back to an earlier period in his career, specifically 2007, which was a transitional period in his practice. At that time, he had presented a body of work that featured bright and pastel tones, but then moved to a darker aesthetic shortly after this. Speaking about the works in Jungle Rum Rumble, Lee states:
“Reusing reference material and drawings from this period, I wanted to capture this particular time again as well as adding some of my new painting techniques. Jungle, ocean, heat, dance, pirate, native, fire, voodoo, rum, fever… were some thoughts and actions while making this group of paintings.”
Jungle Run Jumble offers viewers an opportunity to witness the latest progression in Rhys Lee’s paintings.
Image: Rhys Lee: Jumble Rum Rumble 1 (2016), acrylic on canvas, 200.0 x 168.0 cm
