Philip Hughes: Painting the Ancient Land of Australia

Taking in deep varicoloured mines, broad rolling plains, vast imposing landforms and exquisite calm bays, the landscape paintings of Philip Hughes comprise a love letter to Australia. From Karinjini in the west to Fraser Island in the east, via the northern Kimberley and far southwest of Tasmania, Painting the Ancient Land of Australia follows painter Philip Hughes, palette in hand, across the length and breadth of the country. Hughes’s work is defined by his breathtaking portrayals of natural landscapes and human interventions, informed and inspired by maps and aerial photographs. With a bold graphic style complemented by expressive blocks of colour, Hughes’s practice seems particularly suited to the Australian landscape, as notable for its ecological nuances as it is for its stark extremes. Featuring work created over a span of three decades, a mixture of elegant sketches alongside larger painted artworks, Painting the Ancient Land of Australia presents a deeply personal exploration of a continent.