Dean Reilly
Artworks
Bio
CV
Exhibitions & Artfairs
News & Press
Dean Reilly works predominately in 2D mediums. After a long and distinguished career as an art director, he has developed as a diverse and provocative contemporary artist. His works are progressive and are underpinned by his academic studies. His works is highly acclaimed for their style, design and variation. Dean’s commitment to quality is outstanding and his constant search for ‘the fantastic’ has an enduring presence. He continues to delight and inspire collectors around the world with his unique approach to painting.
Dean has been a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize and a finalist in the Moran Art Prize, the world’s richest portrait art competition, for three consecutive years. He has been painting professionally for 19 years and has held successful solo and joint thematic exhibitions throughout Australia. Dean is a mid-career, highly collectable Australian artist; his work can be found in many prestigious private collections around the world. Dean is represented both in Australia and Internationally.
Artist Statement
Dean’s recent works have focused on Australia, its artists, history, myths and legends.
“For me, national identity appears to be like our own identity, made up of generalisations, misrepresentations, truths and totems of significant moments and events. In this collection, I am redefining my own identity by looking deeper into our nation’s historical development through a
somewhat contradictory, whimsical and questionable lens.
This enquiry between historical folklore and documented historical evidence I believe will give us a better understanding of the truth. Using the larrikin visual vernacular employed by Australian contemporary painters such as Boyd, Tucker, Nolan, Drysdale and Whiteley, I am poking and prodding at the glass ceiling of our nation’s identity. Myth would have us believe that we are shaped by the bush, yet since the early 19th century we have been mostly an urban society. Myth would have us believe that Captain Cook discovered Australia, yet the indigenous have inhabited this land for more than 40,000 years. This collection is but a small step into a long journey.” – Dean Reilly
Artist CV
Born 1966
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 Australiana, Solo Exhibition traffic jam galleries Sydney
2018 Untitled- Solo Exhibition Red Hill Gallery
2016 Says Who – Solo Exhibition Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2015 Artist’s Dinner series, Solo Exhibition traffic jam galleries, Sydney
2015 Looking for Fantastic, Solo Exhibition Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2014 Thunderland, Solo Exhibition traffic jam galleries, Sydney
2013 Gizzard of Waz Solo Exhibition Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 The Birds, traffic jam galleries, Sydney
2016 Hong Kong Art Fair
2016 Singapore Art Fair
2015 Solid Rock, traffic jam galleries, Sydney
2014 Opposite Attraction, Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2013 Men of Matter, Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2013 Humankind / Flesh and Bone, traffic jam galleries, Sydney
2012 Frontier, traffic jam galleries, Sydney
AWARDS
2013 Finalist Moran Portrait Prize
2012 Finalist Moran Portrait Prize
2011 Finalist Moran Portrait Prize
2010 Finalist Moran Portrait Prize
2010 Finalist Archibald, NSW Gallery, Sydney
1999 Sunshine Coast Design Award
COMMISSIONS
2018 Aveo Group, Commercial commission,
2016 Crown Casino Perth, Commercial Commission
Australia Waltzing Matilda Private Commission
Portrait of Ludwig Leichhardt, German Embassy Commission
Jimbour Wine – Prestigious Label Selection
EDUCATION
2017 – ongoing Bachelor Degree in Visual Art and Visual Culture
The Landscape is Beyond ME
“Western perceptions of land on the other hand position the landscape as the other and the outer, a site to be developed, exploited, and experienced. As a little boy growing up on the land I was constantly evolving within a combination of fear and wonder. The unfolding landscape was filled with forms of heroes and villains contained within nature, seasons, and time. This was and still is providing me with the essential ingredients of connection and experience. My experience of land was not that of conquest, violence, tragedy, or despair yet it existed upon it" – Dean Reilly.
The Birds
Kayden Bailey, Megan Barrass, Ebony Bennett, Kasia Fabijanska, Thom George, Andrew Grassi-Kelaher, Elise Judd, Jess Leonard, Will Maguire, Niki McDonald, Kathryn McGovern, Danielle McManus, Rebecca Pierce, Simone Read, Dean Reilly, Al Roberts, Annabel Scanlen, Edgar Schilter, Ben Tankard, Kayo Yokoyama
We are excited to present our opening exhibition for 2021 a group thematic show titled THE BIRDS. Participating artists present their own interpretations and responses to this subject. On a two and three dimensional level the works range from the playful and irreverent through to macabre and nightmarish. The subject is presented through a range of mediums such as steel, ceramics, acrylic and oil paint, digital, pen, ink and charcoal.
Newsletter #188
October 6, 2022
Newsletter #187
October 6, 2022
Newsletter #186
October 6, 2022
Newsletter #185
September 29, 2022
We are excited to share new work by REBECCA PIERCE for her upcoming solo exhibition opening October 14th 'And Yet Again' 61 x 45cm acrylic paint and ink, oil sticks and charcoal on canvas $ 1,200.00
September 25, 2022
'Seems Like a Good Idea at the Time' by DEAN REILLY "Much of our early colonial history is riddled with absurdity. Explorers doomed for failure through bad planning miscommunication and a disconnect and discomfort with the landscape. Like a fish out of water or a naked white man on a chartreuse camel, the new can sometimes appear bizarre." - Dean Reilly 'Seems Like a Good Idea at the Time' 40.5 x 51cm, 43.5 x 54cm framed acrylic on canvas $ 1,400.00
September 24, 2022
"The great gold rush has never really ended it has just become corporatized, legalised, monopolised, justified and naturalised. Fly into the heart of Australia and you will see men in uniform moving about in airports, to go and dig up the earth to provide security and pleasure for their families." - DEAN REILLY Gold 1, 2 and 3 on display and available now
September 24, 2022
'Gone Fishing' new work by Miranda Summers. This work is 20 x 20cm oil on canvas $ 640.00 with free packing and shipping Australia wide. For overseas shipping, please contact the gallery. This work is available to purchase now but is still drying and will be ready for collection or delivery early October 2022.
September 23, 2022
"In Australia, space and place stage stories torn between absurdity and beauty, the knowable and unknowable, and the sublime" - DEAN REILLY 'There is so Much to See Here Study' 20 x 25cm, 23 x 28cm framed acrylic on canvas on board $ 350.00 with free packing and shipping Australia wide.
September 23, 2022
'Banksia Fringe' 61.5 x 61.5cm oil on canvas $ 1,450.00 by MIRANDA SUMMERS. This work is available to purchase now but is still drying and will be ready for collection or delivery early October 2022.
September 22, 2022
"I have come to learn that the landscape is represented by my internalised feelings drawn from experience and memories within the landscape and my landscape is littered with heroes, villains, myths and legends grounded in story." - DEAN REILLY Solo Exhibition on now until 30 September You can browse and buy works online via our website and view the exhibition page and catalogue. Or please feel free to contact the gallery team with any questions or enquiries.
September 22, 2022
"Black swan theory suggests that the black swan is a metaphor that describes an event that comes as a complete surprise. One can only wonder how early Northern hemisphere explorers would have perceived and reacted to seeing the first black swans." - DEAN REILLY 'Odette Study' 20 x 25cm, 23 x 28cm framed acrylic on canvas on board $ 350.00 Free packing and shipping Australia wide
September 21, 2022
Dreaming of sunny Sydney days with MIRANDA SUMMERS new works inspired by scenes of Sydney ! 'Pink Pocket in Time' 20 x 20cm oil on canvas $640.00
September 21, 2022
DEAN REILLY'S 'Past Present Future' 51 x 40.5cm, 54 x 43.5cm framedacrylic on canvas $ 1,400.00 "The past, present, and future is governed and informed by our feelings towards the landscape you are in. Whether you see it as majestic natural wilderness, a wild mongrel scrub to be developed or sacred country, is up to you. However, mostly it is inherited through the stories we hear and the experiences we have that form our views of the landscape and ultimately the world." - Dean
September 20, 2022
DEAN REILLY'S Solo Exhibition 'The Landscape is Beyond Me' is on now until September 30th. "In Australia, space and place stage stories torn between absurdity and beauty, the knowable and unknowable, and the sublime. My experience towards landscape comes from my internal feelings and experiences of country through observation, study, and from the dreams I had as a little boy growing up on the land. Landscape can be viewed as a majestic natural garden, a wild mongrel scrub or sacred country, for me however, landscape represents a strange combination, torn between the heroic and the absurd. I think it is the absolute hopelessness of the situation that we can find joy, connection and hope in the landscape that is beyond me." - DEAN REILLY #birdpainting
September 20, 2022
The gallery will open as usual 10am - 5pm on the Queens National Day of Mourning public holiday on the 22nd of September. Please contact the team if you have any questions or enquiries. #northshoreart
September 20, 2022
Inspired by Sydney ! New work by MIRANDA SUMMERS 'Bridge the Harbour' 61.5 x 61.5cm oil on canvas $ 1,450.00 This work is available to purchase now but is still drying and will be ready for collection or delivery early October 2022. For enquiries or to view more new works by Miranda, please reach out to the team or visit Miranda's page on our website. #texturedart
September 19, 2022
"The myth becomes clear as the truth becomes clouded. The story becomes legend and begins to inform us in how we feel about our history and how we feel about ourselves as people. What we choose to believe becomes the way in which we view the world and form morality. Inspired by Nolan’s Ned Kelly series. The Bushranger is caught in a fused representation of a centaur. Here the figure is caught between the human and the animal, metaphoric for the wild and tame." - DEAN REILLY Solo Exhibition ON NOW with free packing and shipping on all works Australia wide 'Myth' 122 x 91cm, 125 x 94cm framedacrylic on canvas $3,500.00
September 19, 2022
'Picnic Point' 31 x 31cm oil on canvas $720.00 by MIRANDA SUMMERS with free packing and shipping Australia Wide ! New works by Miranda including this piece are available to purchase now but are still drying and will be ready for collection or delivery early October 2022. For enquiries or to view more new works by Miranda, please reach out to the team or visit Miranda's page on our website.
September 18, 2022
"I have heard conflicting opinions on the art of water divining. Some people believe it is very precise and reveals the location of underground water. Whilst others believe there is water everywhere, it is only matter of depth." - DEAN REILLY Divine Calling 101 x 101cm, 104.5 x 104.5cm framed acrylic on canvas #australianpainter
September 18, 2022
