Robert Malherbe’s long and self-imposed apprenticeship, driven by his passion for painting is paying off. The artist’s training has been the first-hand contemplation of master works in the galleries of Europe, and has provided him with invaluable insights into the craft of painting that he now determinedly applies to his own practice. Looking to predecessors like Corot, Constable and Manet, Malherbe aims to represent the essential truth of his subject, and to realise the inherent relationships between the subject, the artist and the viewer.
He eschews the convenience of photographic aids, preferring to work directly from life to capture the subtle revelations and feelings of immediacy imparted by the painted or drawn gesture; from the sensuality of the natural environment to the intimate landscape of the human form.
Using a reductive approach to colour and surfaces that speak of the artistic process, Malherbe extols the simple perfection of a moment and offers it for our contemplation.
Malherbe emigrated to Australia from Mauritius as a young boy. He worked as an animator before spending a decade traveling and living in Europe. He has exhibited locally and nationally for over the past decade and has been a regular finalist in prestigious prizes, including the Wynne Prize, Mosman Art Prize and the Archibald Prize.
Image: South Coast sunset 1 , 2016. oil on board. 20.0 x 25.0 cm
