THE STUDIO Bistro

Mal Leckie

Rollover image for details
Previous Next

 

Mal Leckie was born, raised and educated in Western Australia, graduating from Curtin University (then W.A.I.T.) with an Associateship in Fine Art in 1973. His early childhood was spent travelling and camping around W.A. with his fishing fanatic family. Later, chasing surf, he further extended his geographic range in search of isolated spots, developing a deep passion for the serenity and majesty of remote locations. This early love of the land led to continuing travels around Australia experiencing, painting and drawing in search of an essence of Australian landscape. Back in the studio (now located in Cobaki NSW) he transfers his experiences and sketches into distilled and powerfully coloured paintings that aim to relay the essential feel of the source landscapes. Owners of his works frequently comment on their paintings’ capacity to evolve in terms of mood and mystery, still revealing little ‘secrets’ years after first being seen.

 

 

 

Influences - Mal was strongly influenced by the work of Australian artists Guy Grey-Smith, Fred Williams and Jeffrey Makin, all devotees of Paul Cezanne. He was a student of Guy Grey-Smiths in 1972 & 73.

Biography

ABBREVIATED CV

QUALIFICATIONS - graduate and post-graduate qualifications in Fine Art and Art Education from Curtin University, WA.  21 years as a full time artist.

EXHIBITIONS - 33 solo exhibitions and 35 selected group exhibitions to his credit. These exhibitions have been held in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Noumea, Hong Kong and numerous regional centres. Prominent galleries include: Victor Mace - Brisbane, Solander Gallery - Canberra, Wagner Gallery - Hong Kong, Art Galleries Schubert - Gold Coast, Bruce Watling - Brisbane, Framed Gallery - Darwin, Soho Galleries - Sydney, Broadbeach Gallery - Gold Coast, North Shore Fine Art – Sydney, Gadfly Gallery, Perth.

PRIZES - 33 prizes for his work in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia – including the Gold Coast City Art Prize on three occasions. Notable judges - Lloyd Rees - NSW, Barry Pearce - NSW, Udo Sellback - Canberra, Lawrence Daws - Qld, Joseph Brown - Vic., Alan McCulloch - Vic., Margaret Priest - WA, Lou Klepac - WA, NSW., Philip Bacon - Qld., Nancy Underhill - Qld.

REPRESENTED in collections in 18 countries around the world and in Australia his works are represented in the public collections of the likes of Parliament House, Canberra and Brisbane, Australian Artbank, Brisbane City, Bond University, Griffith University and the Commonwealth Club in Canberra. In corporate collections he has works in the Commonwealth bank, Qantas, OTC, CRA, AMP, Suncorp, Bond University, Radisson Resorts, Rydges Hotels, Ernst and Young, Brothers Neilsen, Conrad Jupiters, Warner Brothers, Bird-Cameron and Morris International.

OTHER - Achievements and Appointments -

Commonwealth Scholar 1967           

Jackson’s Scholarship 1972 (Dux Aeq.)

Associateship in Fine Art 1973 (WAIT – now Curtin University)

Post Graduate Diploma in Art Education 1977 (WAIT)

Art Master TSS – 1974-6, 1978-88.

Chair Gold Coast Bicentennial Art Committee 1986-8

Art Critic – Gold Coast Bulletin 1978-82

Art Critic – Home and Style Review 1997-9

Gold Coast Art Gallery Advisory Panel 1988-2007

President Association of Fine Artists 1996-7

Lecturer in Painting & Drawing NSW Tafe 1999-02

Tweed River Art Gallery Advisory panel 2006-

Artist and designer - Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre 2006, 2009


 

RECENT ACTIVITY –

In July-August 2009 - A major exhibition of 35, mainly large, works at the Perth Concert Hall was followed by a road trip across the Nullarbor after heavy rain. The result was numerous drawings and colour sketches from the wet desert, the lower Flinders Ranges and outback NSW which have been transferred to larger canvases.

In early 2010 – an exhibition at the Lake Russel Gallery in Coffs Harbour.

In July 2010 – an exhibition of surf related sculptural panels at the Pearly Shells Surf-house, Gold Coast Qld.

Throughout 2010 – continued to work through old sketchbooks developing paintings from previously un-worked sketches. This is an on-going project.

Coming up – an exhibition at the Joan Dansey Gallery, Mermaid Beach and a group exhibition at the exciting new Studio Gallery near Yallingup in WA.