Morgan Stokes
b. 1990, Sydney (Darug/Kurringgai land)
Statement
Morgan Stokes’ artistic practice delves into the mediums of painting and sculpture, deconstructing them to their fundamental elements. Beginning with the traditional building blocks of each; pigment, cloth, stretcher bars, stone, he embarks upon a process of reinterpretation, interrogating the supposed value of each part and its role within the widely understood formula of what makes an artwork. By creating formal studies into material, he examines what he calls the ‘virtual gaze’: the shifting mode of perception as our lives become increasingly mediated by screens. The painting is no longer merely an object; it is an image endlessly reproduced online and consequently, Stokes views painting as a metaphor for personhood. Coupled with his exploration of the objecthood of painting, he seeks to create works that are simultaneously and paradoxically literal and philosophical.
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Upcoming Richeldis Fine Art, Barcelona
2025 Upcoming Oigåll Projects, Melbourne
2024 Skeleton, Curatorial+Co., Sydney
2023 Gæst, Pakhusgalleriet, Denmark
2023 Skin, Curatorial+Co., Sydney
2022 Virtual Gaze, Curatorial+Co., Sydney
2021 Concerning Existence, Curatorial+Co., Sydney
2020 Portraits, Tête Gallery, Berlin
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Darling Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2024 Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2024 Omnia Art Prize, St Kevins, Melbourne
2024 Daring, Curatorial+Co., Sydney
2023 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Woollahra Gallery, Sydney
2023 Omnia Art Prize, St Kevins, Melbourne
2022 Sydney Contemporary with Curatorial+Co., Sydney
2022 Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
2022 Into The Dark, Let’s Pretend Gallery, Melbourne
2021 Darlings, Curatorial+Co., Sydney
2020 Perspectives Berlin, Tête Gallery, Berlin
2019 Halle113, Oberschöneweide, Berlin
Education & Residencies
2013-14 Master of Design, UNSW College of Fine Arts
2009-11 Bachelor of Arts, Charles Sturt University
2023 Kunstkollektivet 8B, Denmark
2019 Berlin Art Institute, Berlin
Awards
2024 Mosman Art Prize, Finalist
2024 Darling Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, Finalist
2024 Omnia Art Prize, Finalist
2023 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Finalist
2023 Omnia Art Prize, Finalist
2022 Mosman Art Prize, Finalist
Press
2023 Aesence, Interview & Feature
2023 Sjællandske Nyheder (Zealand News), Feature Article
2022 Aesence, ‘Minimalist Artists To Watch In 2023’
2022 Aesence, Feature Article
2022 Assembly Label, Interview & Feature
2022 Art Wank Podcast
2021 Ignant, Interview & Feature
2020 Art Edit Issue #26, ‘Ones to Watch’ Artist
2020 Saint Maison Issue #2, Feature Artist
2020 Sand Journal Issue #21 ‘Archaeology of Water and Air’, Cover Artist and Feature Artist
Representation
Curatorial+Co (Sydney/Gadigal land)
Richeldis Fine Art (London/Barcelona)
Contact