Matthew always painted but managed to distract himself with a few alternative careers. He’s worked as a designer, art-director, lecturer & writer, with his first novel short-listed for the Vogel Literature Award. He’s lived in Australia, Europe and Asia, including several months encamped beneath a grand piano. He’s spent nights under stars in India, under-ground in Bolivia, under surveillance in Burma and under-nourished in London.
His scariest moment was having machine-gun shoved in his face during Nepalese anti-monarchy riots, although crashing a paraglider into a forest was also something of a highlight. Featured in BRW as one of Australia’s top 50 artists, in the past few years Matthew’s won, or been a finalist for, 70 national juried art awards. He’s had 18 solo and more than 80 group shows.
Prizes & Awards
2023 Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize; Finalist
Tatiara Art Prize; Finalist
Sunshine Coast Art Prize; Finalist
The Naked and the Nude; Finalist
Painting the Figure Now
2019 Eutick Memorial Still Life Award; Finalist
2018 Mosman Art Prize, Finalist
Kennedy Art Prize, Finalist
Stanthorpe Art Prize, Finalist
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
Vincent Art Prize, Finalist
2017 Manning Art Prize, Finalist
The Savvy Painter, Finalist
Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize, Finalist
Calleen Art Prize; Finalist
Nillumbik Art Prize; Finalist
North Sydney Art Prize; Finalist
2016 City of Albany Art Prize; Finalist
Fisher’s Ghost Open Art Prize, Finalist
Bluethumb Art prize, Finalist
Stanthorpe Art Prize; Finalist
2015 Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize; Finalist
Mosman Art Prize; Finalist
Kilgour Prize; Finalist
Eutick Memorial Still Life Award; Finalist
Whyalla Art Prize; Finalist
Sunshine Coast Art Prize; Finalist
Calleen Art Prize; Finalist
Nillumbik Art Prize; Finalist
2014 The Sulman Prize; Finalist
Kilgour Prize; Finalist
Eutick Memorial Still Life Award; Finalist
Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize; Finalist
Kennedy Art Prize; Finalist
City of Albany Art Prize; Finalist & Commended
Shirley Hannan National Portrait Prize; Finalist
Glencore Percival Portrait Painting Prize; Finalist
Calleen Art Prize; Finalist & Highly Commended
2013 Doug Moran National Portrait Award; Semi-finalist
Gold Coast Art Prize; Finalist
Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize; Finalist
Eutick Memorial Still Life Award; Winner, Sponsor’s Prize
Outback Art Prize; Finalist
Black Swan Prize for Portraiture Salon des Refusés; Finalist
Nillumbik Art Prize; Finalist
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
2012 The Sulman Prize; Finalist
Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize; Finalist
Redland Art Award; Finalist
Mortimore Art Prize; Finalist
Mosman Art Prize; Finalist
The Glover Prize; Finalist
Calleen Art Prize; Finalist & Highly Commended
Wilson Visual Arts Award; Finalist
Gainsborough Greens Art Awards; Finalist
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
Percival Portrait Award; Finalist
Outback Art Prize; Winner, Celebrity Prize,
2011 Eutick Memorial Still Life Award; Winner, People’s Choice
Duke Art Prize; Finalist
Whyalla Art Prize; Finalist
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
2010 Redland Art Award; Finalist
Eutick Memorial Still Life Award; Finalist
Paddington Art Prize; Finalist
The Norvill Art Prize; Finalist
Mortimore Art Prize; Finalist
The Blake Prize Director’s Cut
Black Swan Prize for Portraiture; Finalist
City of Albany Art Prize; Finalist
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
2009 The Whyalla Art Prize; Finalist
Eutick Memorial Still Life Award; Finalist
The Blake Prize Director’s Cut
Mortimore Art Prize; Finalist
Black Swan Prize for Portraiture; Finalist
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
Churchie National Emerging Art Award; Finalist
Prometheus Visual Art Award; Finalist
2008 Townsville Open Art Award; Winner
Mortimore Art Prize; Finalist
The Norvill Art Prize; Finalist
The John Leslie Art Prize; Finalist
Mosman Art Prize; Finalist
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés
Stanthorpe Art Prize; Finalist
The 35th Alice Prize; Finalist
2007 Duke Art Prize; Finalist
Mortimore Art Prize; Finalist
Macarthur Cook Art Award; Winner, People’s Choice
Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
2006 Archibald Prize Salon des Refusés (Vic)
ANL Maritime Art Prize; Finalist
1991 The Vogel Literary Award; Shortlisted fiction (novel)
1988+ Numerous MADC awards and from the One Show, New York