About Steven Makse
I'm a Fremantle-based visual artist working across a range of subjects and media, including oil painting, screen-printing and digital imagery.
My art is often characterised by an underlying existential observation on contemporary life, death and the space in-between. The varied conceptual nature of each artwork demands a diversity of image-making techniques, which goes some way to explaining the range of styles I use as a visual artist.
I've been a three-time finalist in the Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, and participated in two artist residencies in China, and one in Queensland. My work is held in various private and public collections, including the Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office, Chengdu, China.
My studio is located at Many6160 in the Old Myer Building, Fremantle.
Solo exhibitions
• Known Unknowns, Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Australia, July 2016
• Friend or Faux, La Petite Galerie, Northbridge, Australia, 2013
• Free and Uneasy, PS Art Space, Fremantle, Australia, (Fringe World Festival) 2013
• Stills From Life, Linton & Kay Contemporary, Backspace Gallery, Subiaco, Australia, 2010
Selected group exhibitions
• Vasse Art Award, Busselton, 2016 (highly-commended)
• Skin Deep: Portraiture Showcase, Kidogo Arthouse, Fremantle, 2016
• 40x40x40 - Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne, 2016
• FORM Public: Salon, Victoria Park, 2015
• 40x40 Art Prize, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne 2015
• Skin Deep: Portraiture Showcase, Kidogo Arthouse, Fremantle, 2015
• Claremont Art Award, 2015; (selected finalist)
• The Land That We Made Up, Kurb Gallery, Northbridge, 2014
• Kondinin Art Prize, Kondinin, 2014 (winner - works on canvas)
• Artex, Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, 2014
• Cliftons Art Prize, 2014 (selected finalist)
• City of Gosnells Art Show, 2014
• Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Perth, 2013; (selected finalist)
• Blake Prize Directors’ Cut; (selected finalist for online exhibition), 2013
• 40x40 Art Prize, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne 2013
• Kondinin Art Prize, Kondinin, 2013
• Cossack Art Award, Roebourne, 2013
• China International Friendship Cities Conference, Chengdu, China, 2012
• Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Perth, 2012; (selected finalist)
• Kondinin Art Prize, Kondinin, 2012 (winner - works on canvas)
• For We Are Young & Free, Toyota Community Spirit Gallery, Melbourne, 2012; (selected finalist)
• Resident Group Show, Packenham Street Art Space, Fremantle, 2012
• Winter - Linton & Kay Contemporary, Subiaco, 2012
• Picture This: Photography Of Asia-Pacific - Queensland Festival of Photography 4, 2012; (selected finalist)
• Local Produce - 87Artzone, Gold Coast, Queensland, 2012
• 40x40x40 - Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne, 2011
• City of Swan Art Award, Midland, 2011; (selected finalist)
• Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Perth, 2011; (selected finalist)
• Cossack Art Award, Roebourne, 2011
• immix - ECU Masters Group Show, Midland Junction Arts Centre, 2010
• Kondinin Centenary Art Prize, Kondinin, 2010 (winner - works on canvas)
• Art@PC, Perth College, 2010
• Ummm… The ARTiculate Practitioner, The Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle, 2009
• Album Artwork Show (Gutter Guitar), The Bakery, Northbridge, 2008
• The Clothespeg Project, La La Orange, Northbridge, 2008
• Linden Postcard Show, Linden Centre for Contemporary Arts, Victoria, 2008
• Darlington Arts Festival, Darlington, 2007
• Desktop Magazine CREATE Award for Print, 2006; (selected finalist)
• Artrage/Adultshop SEX Exhibition, The Bakery, 2005; (selected finalist)
• Student Show - Etching/Printmaking, Royal College of Kensington and Chelsea, London, UK, 2001
• Real Wild Child - Art of the Australian Music Industry, West Australian Museum, 1995
Other projects
• Artist-in-residence for seven days in August, 2012 to paint works to be shown at 2012 China International Friendship Cities Conference in Chengdu, China
• Artist-in-residence for January, 2012 at 87Artzone: Centre for Asia-Pacific Culture and Arts, Gold Coast, Queensland (www.87artzone.com)
• Participant in the Third Space Artist Exchange, at University of Shanghai, China, 2010
Awards and grants
• Artflight grant recipient to travel to China, courtesy of Dept. of Culture and Arts, West Australia, 2012
• Winner, Works on canvas, Kondinin Centenary Art Prize; 2010, 2012, 2014
• ArtsWA Contemporary Music Grant, 2004
• Winner, West Australian Music Industry (WAMI) Poster of the Year Award, 1996
• Winner, Perth Architecture Week Logo Competition, 1994
• Winner, Amnesty International Poster Design Competition, 1993
• Winner, Excellence in Graphic Illustration Technical Drawing plus the Art Award,
Warwick High School, 1990
Education
• MA - Visual Arts, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia, 2010
• BA Arts - Graphic Design, Curtin University, Perth, Australia, 1994
Media
• "Ruth Tarvydas, Portrait Of The Artist"; X-Press Magazine, 2015
Read the article on the X-Press Magazine website
• "Man and Nature - Australia" - China Post, artist profile, 2012
• "Artist Of The Month" (May, 2012) www.87artzone.com
• "Prize A Picture of Success"; West Australian Newspaper, p. 75, July 30, 2011
• "Stills From Life: Oiled Up", X-Press Magazine, Issue 1236, October 21, 2010
• "Artist Interview", Curve Magazine, p. 16, Issue 10, 2005
• "SEX" exhibition review; Artwall, October 07, 2005.
