Robert Malherbe - Almost the sun

Jan Murphy Gallery is delighted to present, Almost the sun, the new solo exhibition from Robert Malherbe.

Malherbe claims that "as soon as you put a mark down it becomes abstract." It is a deceptively simple observation, but one that quietly dissolves the familiar distinction between realism and abstraction.

In Almost the Sun, Malherbe introduces artist-quality silver paint into his work for the first time. The idea emerged after leaving the Sydney studio he had occupied for almost twenty-five years and moving to the Blue Mountains. Weeks of rain changed the landscape around him. Roads shimmered. Tree trunks darkened. Low cloud flattened the light until familiar colours seemed to dissolve into a subdued metallic glow. Malherbe introduced silver itself into the painting, not as embellishment but simply as another colour available to him.

Malherbe emigrated to Australia from Mauritius as a young boy. He worked as an animator before spending a decade travelling and living in Europe. Malherbe was awarded the NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize (2016) and won the Manning Art Prize (2015). He has exhibited extensively in Australia and has been a regular finalist in prestigious prizes, including the Archibald Prize, the Wynne Prize, the Mosman Art Prize, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and the Kilgour Art Prize.