Adam Cullen (1965–2012), painter, studied art in Sydney from 1986 to 1999, when he obtained his master’s degree in fine arts from the University of New South Wales. He held his first solo exhibition in 1993, and exhibited annually from then until his death. Commonly working in house paints, he specialised in repulsively and brutally amusing depictions of bestial men, flabby, bleeding women and dismembered animals, managing simultaneously to appear to sneer at, and identify unflinchingly with, the human condition. Thirteen times an Archibald finalist between 1997 and 2012, he won the Prize for his Portrait of David Wenham, painted in ‘three or four hours’ in 2000. In 2002 he represented Australia at the Sao Paulo Biennale, conjured up the book Hooky the Cripple with his friend Mark ‘Chopper’ Read, and was highly commended in the Doug Moran Prize. A feature film about Cullen, Acute Misfortune, was released in 2019. Cullen’s works are held by the National Gallery of Australia and the state galleries of New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. The National Portrait Gallery has his painting of stage and opera director Neil Armfield; and of philanthropist Simon Mordant AM and his family.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Alan Dodge AM & Neil Archibald 2019
© George Fetting/Copyright Agency, 2021
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
Basketballer Andrew Gaze and photographer George Fetting.
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