Archibald Prize winner Guy Warren will be celebrating his 100th birthday at the National Art School this April.
Guy Warren has been drawing for the last 85 years, starting his career when he enrolled in part-time art classes at J.S. Watkin’s art school in Sydney. During World War II he fought for the Australian Army’s AIF from 1941 to 1946, based in New Guinea and Bougainville – the source of much of his artistic inspiration.
Warren says: “I fell in love with the rainforest; something to do with the lushness of it and in a funny sort of way, the jungle itself is like a drawing because it’s full of texture, full of vertical forms and linear marks that wind their way through the jungle.”
“The paints don’t seem to have ceased… it’s constant, it keeps reoccurring.”
Upon his return to Sydney, he studied at East Sydney Technical College, now the National Art School. It was at NAS that he gained the confidence and opportunity to dedicate his life to being an artist.
NAS will celebrate their great relationship with this artist as they celebrate his 100th birthday, featuring 100 drawings by the esteemed artist himself.
Warren’s work has had a significant impact. Winning the Archibald Prize in 1985 with a portrait of his friend Bert Flugelman, his work has gone on to influence and inspire generations of artists through more than 65 solo exhibitions and a long career in art education.
During his life Warren was also awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1999 and the Australia Medal in 2013.
NAS Director and CEO Steven Alderton says: “This exhibition celebrates a lifetime of creativity based on drawing.”
“It explores the artist’s inspiration and diverse ways he makes his mark and pays tribute to Guy’s great contribution to Australia’s cultural life over his extraordinary career.”
The National Art School’s exhibition ‘From the Mountain to the Sky: Guy Warren Drawings’ will run from Friday the 17 April to 22 May at the NAS Drawing Gallery.
Further information and tickets are available at www.nas.edu.au
Photocredit: Guy Warren
