ABOUT
Luke Thurgate is an artist living and working on Gadigal Land (Sydney). He teaches drawing and painting at the National Art School, where he graduated in 2021 with a Master of Fine Art. Luke’s extensive exhibition history includes recent projects at Grafton Regional Gallery, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Backwoods Gallery, Burra Regional Art Gallery, National Art School and Adelaide Central Gallery. He was a finalist in the 2023 Dobell Drawing Prize, the 2022 Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award, and the 2020 Tom Bass Figurative Sculpture Prize.
Luke’s multi-disciplinary studio practice explores the construction and deconstruction of ‘identity’ in relation to sexuality, romance and power. Working across drawing, painting, sculpture and performance, his works appropriates the signifying capacity of the western canon, referencing processes, materials and imagery from Renaissance and Baroque art making.
Luke’s current work uses the monster as a surrogate ’other’ to explore tensions between parody, sincerity, menace, pathos, transgression, and vulnerability. Informed by a range of sources, including popular culture, and Catholic iconography, his practice transcribes the western canon through a lens of queer aesthetics and subjectivity.
CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION
2021 Master of Fine Art, National Art School, Sydney
2014 Certificate IV, Training and Assessment, Tighes Hill TAFE, Newcastle
2006 Bachelor of Fine Art, University of Newcastle
SOLO AND COLLABORATIVE EXHIBITIONS
2023 Adore You, The Drawing Gallery, National Art School, Sydney
2022 There be Monsters, .M Contemporary, Sydney
The Maitland Archive, Maitland Regional Art Gallery
2018 The Burra Archive, Burra Regional Art Gallery
2016 Face Off, Floating Goose Studios, Adelaide
Efface (with Chelsea Lehmann), Strange Neighbour Gallery, Melbourne
2015 Removal, Hub Central, University of Adelaide
2014 Cover Up, Fontanelle Gallery, Adelaide
2010 How to Draw the Luke Thurgate Way, Firstdraft, Sydney
2008 Little Death, John Miller Gallery, Newcastle
2005 Yellow Socks Brigade (with Lucas Grogan), Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle
2004 High School Major Work (with Kristian Glynn), Rocket Art, Newcastle
We love Symmetry II (with Kristian Glynn), Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle
2003 We love Symmetry (with Kristian Glynn), John Paynter Gallery, Newcastle
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 Pride and prejudice, Bergman Gallery, Auckland
2022 Inland see, Grafton Regional Gallery
2021 Eighth Anniversary Group Show, M Contemporary, Sydney
Oh Shit, Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne
Care, National Art School Drawing Gallery, Sydney
Contingence, Scratch Art Space, Marrickville
2020 Decameron, Stairwell Gallery, National Art School, Sydney
2019 Sydney Contemporary, .M Contemporary, Carriageworks, Sydney
Lupercalia, Adelaide Central Gallery
2018 The Drawing Exchange, (curator), Adelaide Central Gallery & National Art School, Sydney
2017 The Drawing Exchange, Adelaide Central School of Art & National Art School, Sydney
2016 Drawing Conversations, Rayner Hoff Project Space, National Art School, Sydney
Painting Twice, praxis ARTSPACE, Adelaide
Vitrine, Hub Central, University of Adelaide
2015 Mythology of my land, M Contemporary, Sydney
Portraits and Identity, Adelaide Airport
Signature, The University Gallery, University of Newcastle
Adorn, Adelaide Central Gallery, Adelaide
2014 Drawing Month, Adelaide Central School of Art, Adelaide
Transformation, The University Gallery, University of Newcastle
Gematria, Adelaide Central Gallery, Adelaide
2013 Salon de mechanic, Mechanical Gallery, Adelaide
2010 Labelled Queer, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland
2009 Steel City Boys, MOP Project Space, Sydney
2008 Black and White, The University Gallery, University of Newcastle
SafARI, MOP Project Space, Sydney
2007 Open Foundation, Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle
2006 18 Takes, Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle
2004 Art 100, Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle
2003 Toys and Games of 87, John Paynter Gallery, Newcastle
GRANTS, AWARDS AND PRIZES
2020 Jacaranda Drawing Prize, finalist, Grafton Regional Gallery
2020 Tom Bass Prize for Figurative Sculpture, finalist, Juniper Hall, Sydney
2019 The Dobell Drawing Prize, finalist, National Art School, Sydney
2017 Whyalla Art Prize, finalist, Middleback Art Centre, Whyalla
2016 Independent Makers & Presenters - Professional Development Grant, Arts SA
2015 Prospect Portrait Prize, Prospect Gallery, Adelaide
2010 Redlands Westpac Art Prize, finalist, Mosman Gallery, Sydney
2007 Brian & Rohma Cummins Award, finalist, The University Gallery, University of Newcastle
RESIDENCIES
2018 The Burra Archive, Burra Regional Art Gallery
2017 Seymour College, Adelaide
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Adelaide
2015 Artlab Australia, Adelaide
2006 Drawing on the Walls, Wallsend Regional Library, Newcastle
2005 Rocket Art, Newcastle
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
2020 Long Story Short - Lucas Grogan, Catalogue Essay (Writer), Maitland Regional Art Gallery
2017 Art Monthly Australasia, October Edition
2016 Robert Hannaford, Drawing Resource (Writer), Art Gallery of South Australia
2009 Runway, Issue 13, Dead
2009 Runway, Issue 12, Make believe
2006 Hunter Lifestyle Magazine, Issue 1