About
Peter Westwood is an artist, who periodically curates exhibition projects, and writes about art.
His creative works focus on ideas of being within unsettled conditions to reveal feelings about the fluidity of our lives. In this, he contemplates ideas of agency and passivity to reflect on how living within unstructured and unpredictable contexts may affect individual and collective psyches. His works most often form as esoteric and ambiguous perceptions of how we might see the world.
In investigating this Peter has worked in various media, however his practice is primarily formed through a long-standing preoccupation and interest in two-dimensional art forms, but predominantly painting.
Peter has been included in group, and individual exhibitions in public and commercial galleries in Australia and overseas. He has also curated exhibition projects in Australia, and periodically abroad, and is represented by Blockprojects in Narrm / Melbourne, Australia, and Boutwell Schabrowsky in München/Munich, Germany.
Biography
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
| 2026 | Known unknowns and unknown unknowns, Blockprojects Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australiaa |
| 2024 | The new way to live, Blockprojects Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2022 | What happened during the off season, Boutwell Schabrowsky Gallery, München / Munich, Germany Caught by surprise, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (HBK) Gallery (Braunschweig University), Braunschweig, Germany |
| 2021 | Painting as a marker of change, SITE EIGHT Gallery, School of Art, RMIT University Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2019 | What is the Story for Tomorrow? Boutwell Schabrowsky Gallery, München / Munich, Germany |
| 2017 | Afterall, NKN Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2015 | The Poor Hospital (passage and fate), Blockprojects Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2013 | Drive, Blindside ARI, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia Staring back at the world, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Eora / Sydney, Australia |
| 2011 | Look out, Jenny Port Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2010 | Dieback, Jenny Port Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2009 | 48 Portraits, Jenny Port Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2006 | Hard Times, The Doll’s House, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 2004 | Shape, Crossley and Scott Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia Differences, Crossley and Scott Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 1996 | Things that have happened, Temple Studio, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 1995 | Fruit of the forest, School of Art, Monash University, Murrumbeena / Melbourne, Australia |
| 1992 | Procession, Powell Street Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 1990 | Untitled (Paintings), Powell Street Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 1989 | Assemblages, Reconnaissance Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 1988 | Paintings, Reconnaissance Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
| 1986 | Drawings, Reconnaissance Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia |
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
| 2026 | Two-person exhibition: Rivers stream, liquid trickles, and shapes form, Julia Powles and Peter Westwood, Neue Galerei Landshut e,V. (Kunstverein), Bavaria, Germany. |
| 2024 | What we feel and what we know, Verein für Original-Radierung, Munich, Germany. Two-person exhibition: Julia Powles and Peter Westwood. Accompanied by satellite project at Boutwell Schabrowsky Gallery, Munich, Germany. |
AWARDS, GRANTS AND RESIDENCIES
| 2022 | Artist residency: Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (HBK), Braunschweig, Germany |
| 2016 | Major prize award: 2016 Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize, Narrm / Melbourne |
| 2014 | Artist residency: LIA - The Leipzig International Art Program, Germany |
| 2012 | Project Grant: City of Melbourne, Narrm / Melbourne |
| 2010 | Artist residency: East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China |
| 2002 | Curatorial residency: Crossing: New Art from Australia, UIAH, Helsinki University Finland. |
EDUCATION
PhD, School of Art, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne
Certificate IV, School of Education, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne
Master of Arts Research, School of Art, Monash University, Narrm / Melbourne
Graduate Diploma in Education, School of Education, University of Melbourne, Narrm / Melbourne
Graduate Diploma of Fine Art, School of Art, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne
Diploma of Fine Art, School of Art, Ballarat College of Advanced Education, Ballaarat / Ballarat
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
| 2025 | Finalist: &SAP25 (Sorrento Art Prize), & Gallery Australia, Bullanatoolong / Sorrento, Australia |
| 2024 | Gold, Boutwell Schabrowsky Gallery, Munich, Germany |
| 2023 | Unbecoming, Jacob Hoerner Galleries, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. Curated by David Palliser and Julia Powles |
| 2022 | All you need is love, Shau Fenster, Berlin, Germany. Curated by Berthe Bosse and Thomas Rentmeister |
| 2021 | 2021 Geelong Contemporary Art Prize (finalist), Geelong Art Gallery, Djilang / Geelong, Australia |
| 2020 | How Soon is Now, Blockprojects Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia The new ab/normal, RMIT Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. Curated by Dr Tammy Hulbert & Helen Rayment |
| 2019 | Spring 1883 Art Fair, Blockprojects Gallery, Eora / Sydney, Australia |
| 2018 | Spring 1883 Art Fair, Blockprojects Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia Group show, Boutwell Schabrowsky Gallery, Munich, Germany |
REPRESENTATION IN PERMANENT PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
| Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballaarat / Ballarat. Painting Collection and the Prints and Drawing Collection, Australia Art Bank, Eora / Sydney, Australia. |
| Auckland Art Gallery / Toi O Tamaki, Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, Aotearoa / New Zealand. |
| Bayside City Council Art & Heritage Collection, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. Geelong Art Gallery, Djilang / Geelong, Australia. |
| National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. Works included in the Painting Collection (Shell Collection and the Michelle Endowment Collection) and the Prints and Drawing Collection. |
| RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. |
| Victoria University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. |
| Wollongong City Gallery, Woolyungah / Wollongong, Australia. |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harding, L., (2022) All of this is true, most of it happened. Some thoughts on Peter Westwood’s Caught by Surprise,
catalogue essay, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (HBK) Gallery, Braunschweig, Germany.
Cox, S., and Powles, J., (2019) What is the Story for Tomorrow?, catalogue essay, Boutwell Schabrowsky Gallery, Munich, Germany.
Cox, S., (2017) Afterall, catalogue essay, NKN Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Delany, M., (2016) Painting, More Painting, The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Narrm / Melbourne
Powles, J., (2015) The Poor Hospital (passage and fate), NKN Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia 2015.
Accompanying poem Heel by Paul Carter, 2015
Cox, S., (2013) The Waiting Places, Catalogue essay accompanying the exhibition Staring back at the world, Boutwell Draper Gallery, Eora / Sydney, Australia.
Powles, J., (2010) An order of sorts, Online essay accompanying the exhibition Dieback, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Song, K. and Qui, M., (2010) Distinction, Shanghai University Academy of Fine Arts. Shanghai, PR China.
McAuliffe, C., (2009) The Shilo Project, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, the University of Narrm / Melbourne.
ISBN: 978-0-7340-4146-3
Wallace, G., (2007) Eye to "I" - the self in recent art, The Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballaarat / Ballarat Australia.
Zahra, L., (2005) Rhapsody 21C, ch. (essay) Artist Curator Academic, University of Tasmania Press, Lutruwita / Tasmania, Australia.
Lindsay, R., (1995) The Shell Collection of Contemporary Australian Art, Shell Company of Australia Ltd., Narrm / Melbourne. Australia.
Lindsay, R., (1989) ICI Contemporary Exhibition, ICI Australia Ltd, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Lindsay, R., (1987) Young Australians, Budget Transport Collection, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Lindsay, R., (1987) The Golden Shibboleth, Gertrude Contemporary, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Radford, R., (1979) Still Life Still Lives, The Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballaarat / /Ballarat, Australia.
Radford, R., (1978) Some Recent Art of the Ballarat Region, The Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballaarat / Ballarat, Australia.
REVIEWS
Bell, G., (2024) ‘The new way to live’, Melbourne Art Seen, Art Review Narrm / Melbourne.
Vogel, E., (2019) Kultur Art Review, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Bavaria, July 18, p R17.
Nelson, R., (2010) The Age, November 3, Narrm / Melbourne.
Makin, J., (2009) Herald Sun, March 23, Narrm / Melbourne.
PETER WESTWOOD WRITING AND CURATORIAL ACTIVITIES
Westwood, P. (2023) We each speak differently (Spanish translation), 'El Flasherito' Contemporary Art Magazine, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Westwood, P. (2022) When we slow down …. Catalogue essay accompanying the work of Charlotte Acklin, Boutwell Shabrowsky, Munich, Germany.
Westwood, P. (2021) Spaces of wordless immediacy. Catalogue essay accompanying the work of Jordan Grant, Blockprojects Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P. (2021) The space of translation. Catalogue essay accompanying the work of Jonah Gebka, Boutwell Schabrowsky, Munich, Germany.
Westwood, P., (2019) Sightings within the whole shebang. Catalogue essay accompanying the work of Jarryd Cooper, Blockprojects Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2018) Wonderlust, curatorial project and catalogue essay, BUS Projects, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. Artists include: Georgia Biggs, David Palliser, Julia Powles, Isabel Turner.
The colour, the shape, (2017) NKN Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. Curatorial project involving the work of Georgia Biggs, David Harley, Melinda Harper, Michael Jaeger, Julia Powles, Antonia Sellbach and Isabel Turner. Exhibition text by Steve Cox.
Westwood, P., (2016) Bus Stop, (extended version) essay published in Michael Wegerer – Bouncing Borders (monograph) University of Applied Arts Vienna Press, Birkhäuser Verlag, Vienna / Berlin.
Westwood, P., (2016) Our ideal world, catalogue essay accompanying the work of Jordan Grant, (ed) Eric Nash, curator, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Thul Garrie Waja / Townsville, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2015) The personal thing, catalogue essay accompanying the work of Melinda Harper, Julia Powles and Nyah Cornish, NKN Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. http://www.nkngallery.com/exhibitions/the-personal-thing/
Westwood, P., (2014) Future Strategies: The New Art Alumni, curatorial project and catalogue essay. Project Space and Spare Room Gallery, RMIT University Melbourne, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. 2014
Westwood, P., (2013) Crowded out. An essay accompanying the work of Matthew Berka for the project My House is too Small, curated by Julia Powles. This project involved an artist residency project supported by Arts Victoria. Artists: Matthew Berka, Jessie Bullivant, Andrew McQualter, Simone Slee, Carolyn Eskdale and CJ Conway. Other writers: Russell Grigg, Carolyn Barnes, Alastair Phillips, Hannah Mathews and Dunja Rmandić. Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. http://www.myhouseistoosmallproject.com/.
Westwood, P., (2013) The struggle is enough … , catalogue essay accompanying the work of Ryan Wilson for the exhibition Your father’s brother Robert, Kings Artist Run Initiative, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., Not too close, not too far, (2012) catalogue essay discussing the work of Lim Dong
Seung for the exhibition On Familiar Things, Lee C Gallery (Seoul Korea).
Westwood, P., (2011) Hivemind, catalogue essay discussing the work of Raphael Buttonshaw, Tyler Clark Clark, Dylan Hammond, Daniel Stojkovich. The School of Art Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia (http://schoolofartgalleries.dsc.rmit.edu.au/SOAG/exhibitions/2010/index.html)
Westwood, P., (2010) The Proposition, catalogue essay discussing the work of Boe-lin Bastian, CJ Conway, Ed McAleice and Sean Crossley, The School of Art Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
(http://schoolofartgalleries.dsc.rmit.edu.au/SOAG/exhibitions/2010/index.html)
Powles, J., & Westwood, P., (2010) Can this be a painting? Catalogue essay discussing the work of Michael Jäger (Germany), Project Space and Spare Room Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. (http://www.projectspace.rmit.edu.au/)
Westwood, P., (2010) Desire and what you end up doing. Bringing fiction into reality: Who are you talking to, me? Catalogue essay discussing the work of Barbara Kapusta (Austria), Project Space and Spare Room Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. (http://www.projectspace.rmit.edu.au/)
Westwood, P., (2010) The moment where you think that that’s all it takes … Catalogue essay discussing the work of Julia Powles for the exhibition Dancing Without Lessons, BLINDSIDE, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. (www.blindside.org.au/)
Westwood, P., (2010) Representation in the meaning of a metaphor for a forest as endoscopy / links between locations, curatorial project, installation and catalogue text involving the work of Hoang Duong Cam (Vietnam). Project Space and Spare Room Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. (http://www.projectspace.rmit.edu.au/)
Westwood, P., (2010) Like No Place Known, collaborative curatorial exhibition project and catalogue essay with Katarina Frank. Works by Kieran Boland (Australia), Cecilia Darle (Sweden), Gunilla Hansson (Sweden). Patrick Nilsson (Sweden), Jin Shan (PR China) Andreas Soma (Sweden). Project component of the international Drawing Out Conference conducted through RMIT University and the University of Arts London. The School of Art Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. (http://schoolofartgalleries.dsc.rmit.edu.au/SOAG/exhibitions/2010/like_no_place_known.html)
Westwood, P., (2010) Bus Stop, (version 1) catalogue essay discussing the work of Michael Wegerer (Austria), Künstlerhaus Vienna, Austria. Multiple Matters - Grafische Konzepte, (eds) Wojcech Krywoblocki and Georg Lebzelter, Künstlerhaus, Vienna, Austria. ISBN 978-3-900926-85-4
Westwood, P., (2009)The city lost in snow, catalogue essay discussing the work of Katarina Frank (Sweden/UK), Project Space and Spare Room Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. (http://www.projectspace.rmit.edu.au/)
Westwood, P., (2009) Man in the Cold, catalogue essay discussing the work of Godwin Bradbeer for the exhibition Portraits in Exile, Ardel Gallery of Modern Art, Bangkok, Thailand.
Westwood, P., (2008) Things that remain, curatorial project, installation and catalogue text. Works by Steve Cox, Jess Crowe, Julia Powles, Greg Pryor and Leonie Zylberberg, Jenny Port Gallery, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia
Westwood, P., (2008) The World in Painting, curatorial advisor and contributing writer to the catalogue essay discussing the work of Lê Quôc Viêt (Vietnam) for the exhibition project The World in Painting, (ed) Zara Stanhope, Heide Museum of Modern Art Narrm / Melbourne, Australia. Regional galleries traveling exhibition.
Westwood, P., (2007) An obvious problem, catalogue essay discussing the work of Jan Svenungsson (Sweden) and Katrin von Maltzahn (German) for the dual exhibition project A Place on Earth & Tracking and Jorge Luis Borges visited Melbourne for 10 days; School of Art Gallery. RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2007) The brain hand thing, catalogue essay discussing the work of David Palliser for the exhibition Imagine…the creativity shaping our culture, (ed.) Zara Stanhope, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia,
Westwood, P., (2005) One another’s otherworld, Curatorial project installation and catalogue text, at the invitation of the French Cultural Centre, Melbourne. Featuring the works of Laetitia Bourget (France), Philippe Charles (France), Steve Cox, Sanné Mestrom, Dominic Redfern, Philip Samartzis, Ania Walwicz and Louiseann Zahra. Alliance Française de Melbourne (French Cultural Centre / Alliance Francaise), Narrm / Melbourne
Westwood, P., (2005) Various Presence: the human spaces in new technology. Curatorial project, installation and catalogue text, Shanghai International Science and Art Exposition, China, 2005. Featuring the works of Mark Burry, Martine Corompt, Ho Sui Kee, Nicole Jaquard, Lyndall Jones, Dominic Redfern, Philip Samartzis, Daniel Von Sturmer, Christian Bumbarra Thompson, Jason Wade, Yandell Walton, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2004) Siblings. Two concurrent curatorial projects with accompanying catalogue text titled Similarities and differences. Featuring the work of Loretta Quinn and Paul Quinn, Fiona Mc Monagle, and Tim McMonagle, Project Space and Spare Room Gallery, RMIT University Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2004) Beyond horizons / Horisonttien takana, curatorial project, and catalogue essay referring to the work of environmental artist Markku Hakuri (Finland). Faculty Gallery, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2004) The Drawing Room, curatorial project and catalogue essay, titled Insideout, accompanying an installation work by John Kelly. Project Space and Spare Room, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2003) Benjamin Armstrong and Katherine Huang, curatorial project and exhibition text (text drawing / poster). Works by Benjamin Armstrong and Katherine Huang. Project Space and Spare Room, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2003) Crossing: New Art from Australia, curatorial project with catalogue essay. Works by Adam Bunny, Linda Erceg, Fiona Foley, Peter Graham, Katherine Huang, Dianne Jones, Tim McMonagle, Vera Möller, David Noonan and Simon Trevaks, and Christian Bumbarra Thompson. Lume Gallery, UIAH (University of Art and Design), Helsinki, Finland.
Westwood, P., (2002) David Potter, curatorial project (posthumous exhibition) and catalogue essay, Project Space and Spare Room, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2001) Berenice’s Hair /Bereniken Hiukset. Exhibition catalogue with curator Leena Lohiniva. Rovaniemi Museum, Finland and Project Space and Spare Room, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (2000) Seen something more, curatorial project and catalogue essay.
Works by Tim McMonagle and David Palliser. Project Space and Spare Room, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.
Westwood, P., (1999) rubik 10 – are you experienced, catalogue essay discussing the work of Tim McMonagle. The Physics Room, Ōtautahi / Christchurch, Aotearoa / New Zealand.
Westwood, P., (1999) The trouble with Harry, curatorial project and catalogue essay. Works by Judith Duquemin, Diena Georgetti and Daniel Noonan. Project Space and Spare Room, RMIT University, Narrm / Melbourne, Australia.