Rew Hanks

Born: 1958

Biography:

Rew Hanks is a renowned Sydney-based printmaker and teacher. A fascination with the cultural history of Australia, peppered with sly wit and social commentary, and an execution of his medium to unparalleled excellence, places Hanks at the pinnacle of Australian art. His craft is intellectually engaging and visually unique. Researching deeply into history; the formality of Hanks’ hand belies a contemporary playfulness. These works require looking and learning to unpack their layered meanings. They show the possibility of contemporary art to both revisit the past and shape our understanding of ourselves. At the core, Hanks is a storyteller, ensuring the complexities of our shared history are reinvigorated. Rew Hanks has held solo exhibitions since 1982 in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra. His work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Art Gallery of South Australia and several significant regional and tertiary collections. Hanks has a Master of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts, University of Sydney. Internationally, Hanks has been awarded the Megalo International Print Prize (2020), Trienniale Print Prize in the 4th Bangkok Triennale International Print and Drawing, Bangkok, Thailand (2015), First Prize in the 9th Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints, Kochi, Japan (2014), First Prize in the IV International Print Exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey (2011) and Grand Prize in the 8th Bharat Bhavan International Biennal of Print-Art, Bhopal, India (2008). Nationally, Hanks has been awarded the Lerida Estate Acquisitive Prize (2020), Freemantle Arts Centre Prin...