Biography
Born: Sydney, Australia, 1992
Zander Clark is an emerging Australian artist whose practice explores Australian identity through figurative and symbolic oil painting. Drawing on themes of masculinity, mythology, history, belonging, and cultural memory, his work investigates the emotional weight carried by distinctly Australian subjects and the ways familiar imagery can become tied to larger ideas of resilience, pride, isolation, and identity.
Working intuitively in energetic wet-on-wet painting sessions, Clark creates highly textured oil paintings that prioritise immediacy, gesture, and emotional force. Employing thick impasto application with brushes and palette knives, he continually pushes towards looser mark-making, allowing materiality and instinct to sit alongside representation.
His work is heavily informed by Australian history, folklore, and art history, often drawing inspiration from historical figures, colonial narratives, mythology, and contemporary symbols embedded within the Australian vernacular. Through painting, Clark explores his own connection to Australia — navigating the tension of deeply admiring the country while grappling with the complexities of its colonial past and his place within that story.
His practice seeks not to resolve these contradictions, but to sit within them — creating emotionally charged works that invite reflection on identity, place, and what it means to belong in Australia.
Prizes
2025 Blacktown City Art Prize
The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre (Sydney)
FINALIST
2024 Hornsby Art Prize
Wallarobba Arts and Cultural Centre (Sydney)
FINALIST
2024 Tim Copes Portrait Prize
Bowral Art Gallery (Southern Highlands)
FINALIST
2024 The Art Edit Self-Represented Artist Award
FINALIST
2024 Small Works Art Prize,
Brunswick Street Gallery (Melbourne)
FINALIST
Exhibitions
2026 It’s The Little Things Group Show
Holeywood Gallery (Sydney)
2025 Surface Group Show
Alpha House Gallery (Sydney)
2025 Silver & Cold Group Show
Wester Gallery (Newcastle)
2025 MESSY PAST
25B Gallery (Sydney)
SOLO SHOW
2025 Incognito Art Show
The Garden Gallery (Sydney)
2024 Urrunga Solo Show
25B Gallery (Sydney)
CURATOR + ARTIST
2024 Residual Group Show
25B Gallery (Sydney)
CURATOR + ARTIST
2024 BOLTERS
Brunswick Street Gallery (Melbourne)
SOLO SHOW
2024 Secret Sitter Group Show
Goodspace Gallery (Sydney)
2024 Incognito Art Show
Paddington (Sydney)
2024 Best In Show Group Show,
Brunswick Street Gallery (Melbourne)
2023 Real Refuses Group Show,
TAP Gallery (Sydney)
Publicity
2023 Featured Artist,
Art Edit Magazine Issue #38
2020 Illustrator Spotlight Video,
Junkee Media
Education
2017 Bachelor of Design & Illustration,
Billy Blue College of Design
2015 Diploma of Visual Design,
CATC Design School
