Who’s Hot & Collectable Top 100: 2025

I'm absolutely thrilled to share that I’ve been included for the third time in a row in the prestigious Who’s Hot & Collectable Top 100 list! It’s such an honor to be recognized once again, especially alongside so many incredibly talented friends and contemporaries whom I admire and respect immensely.

Feeling truly grateful for this moment and for everyone who has supported me on this adventure - especially as I navigate my sixth (and hopefully final!) career.

Here’s to more creativity, connection, and, ideally, choosing a career path early to save a little time… but hey, who’s counting?

Collie Art Prize, WA

Thrilled to be a Collie Art Prize Finalist with this painting; Pure Illumination

I’m over the moon to share that my artwork has been selected as a finalist in this prestigious Western Australian Prize!

Being recognised among so many incredible artists is both an honor and personal accomplishment.

Contrary to perception, this is not really about inspiration; It is a journey of hard work layered upon a foundation of storytelling. And I’m endlessly grateful for the support of everyone who has cheered me on along the way.

A huge congratulations to all the finalists! Let’s celebrate art, creativity, and the very fact that prizes such as the Collie continue to exist!

Solo Exhibition: 5 Minutes To Famous

 
 

I would be honoured if you could join me to launch my new Melbourne exhibition. Featuring 11 paintings, it is the final Australian exhibition of my series of sculptural works on mirrored aluminium.

Inspired by the most banal social media posts, historical figures break their classical poses to strut for the camera; shining a spotlight on the trend of fabulous nobodies who, for an imagined audience, curate a digital ‘best life’ version of themselves built on a foundation of smoke and mirrors.

Here's a digital catalogue https://heyzine.com/flip-book/446db670c1.html

 When: From 22 September to 7 October, 2023

Opening: Friday, 22 September, 2023, 6-8pm 

Where: Compendium Gallery, 909A High Street, Armadale Victoria


It would be lovely to see you, so I hope you can make it.

Top 100 Artists List

It’s a surprise and delight to discover I have been again included in the Top 100 Artists list of “Who’s Hot and Collectable in Australian Art.”

Compiled by a (mysterious) anonymous group of working artists, commentators, gallerists and collectors, the list contains an amazing group of artists, many of whom I am honoured to know as friends.

That photo from 7 years ago with the truely hideous haircut will, it seems, haunt me forever. But very happy to be included again in such esteemed company.

 
 

Museum Exhibition: Painting The Figure Now

 
 

It is truly an exceptional and humbling experience to have received such a monumental invitation to showcase my painting, "The Fatal Shore," in the highly acclaimed museum exhibition of the world's most eminent figurative painters: Painting The Figure Now.

This prestigious event is currently taking place at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wisconsin, USA, from the 8th of September until the 28th of October.

Prizes: The Sunshine Coast Art Prize

 
 

My work "La Preca - Louis Vuitton" has been selected as a finalist in the Sunshine Coast Art Prize. Out of an extensive pool of submissions from all over the nation, only a prestigious group of 40 exceptional pieces secured their place as finalists, including the works of esteemed luminaries such as Fiona Lowry, Esther Erlich, Dagmar Cryulla, and Michael Simms.

The Sunshine Coast Art Prize exhibition is currently being showcased at the Caloundra Regional Gallery, at 22 Omrah Avenue, Caloundra, QLD 4551.

Art enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike have the opportunity to appreciate and engage with the exceptional offering from the 18th of August until the 15th of October.

Prizes: The Naked and the Nude

 

"The Clash" has been chosen as one of the outstanding contenders in the prestigious Naked and the Nude Art Prize. The panel, led by the Director of the Newcastle Art Gallery, Lauretta Morton, has selected "The Clash" as a finalist. The artwork can now be seen at the Manning Art Gallery in Taree, NSW 2430. This exhibition, which started on September 2, showcases the brilliance of "The Clash" and the artist's skill in capturing raw emotion and timeless beauty.

 

ART WORTH $150,000 IS 100% DEDUCTIBLE!

As restrictions ease and offices become populated again, coming back to a productive work space has never been more important. And the best part is that under the small business tax allowance, purchasing art for your business is 100% tax deductible.

Which business can claim the tax deduction?

Any small to medium-sized businesses with an annual turnover of less than $500 million qualifies.

How much can I claim?

Business owners can claim up to $150,000 for paintings or sculptures. And there is no limit to how many pieces of art you can make this claim for.

Here’s the background: Artwork is normally subject to a very low rate of depreciation (because their useful life is assessed as 100 years). This works out to be around 1% per year - which not very enticing. BUT the great news is, being classified as a depreciating asset qualifies art for the instant asset write-off .

Is there any artwork criteria ?

The artwork must be:

  1. Tangible;

  2. Capable of being moved;

  3. Purchased with the dominant purpose of display in a business premise or home office

  4. Not be trading stock

What if you are an employee?

As an employee working from home , you may claim an artwork deduction up to the value of $300 as part of your home office expenditure. Any value greater than $300 must be claimed using the usual decline in value rules.

Other stuff

In the past the criteria required artwork to be displayed in your business premises.

Home-based businesses also qualified, as long the artwork was displayed in the home office. You had to prove you would meet regularly clients at your premises. However, as possibly the only benefit of Covid, these rules were relaxed and artwork no longer needs to be confined to the office area.

For full details, please go the relevant section of the ATO website here

 
 

Judith Nielson Collection

Several works from my series, The Mirror Electric, have been acquired for the permanent museum collection of Australian’s most significant art collector and arts patron, Judith Nielson, founder of White Rabbit Gallery and numerous other arts foundations.

The Mirror Electric is a (skewed) look at the body image dysmorphia/objectification phenomenon happening in social media.

They are oil paintings on mirrored aluminium, so the viewer can see themselves in the artwork. The proportions echo an iPhone. With fluorescent backs and designed to sit out from the wall, the ambient light creates a glowing digital-like halo around these detailed satirical works.

Hanging in the collection alongside such artists as Ai Weiwei and Jørn Utzon, the instructions were that these paintings were; “never to be sold.”

Interview With An Artist Podcast

I’ve been featured on the podcast, Interview with an Artist, hosted by with Wilamina Russo.

Follow the link to get the Podcast

Here are the show notes:

Buckle in. This week's episode is a wide ranging conversation about travel adventures, creativity, and among other things, how the Playboy bunny got its name.

I'm serious! My guest this week is Melbourne based painter Matthew Quick.

What you are going to realise about Matthew is that he loves a good story. Throughout his life of traveling in his earlier years, Matthew has been under gunpoint by local authorities, gone underground mining in South America with explosives tied to him, and found himself in London in a recession.

The multi award winning and finalist listing artist has lived a life and then some. Matthew's paintings look to comment on the absurdity and complexity of times. His 2022 show at Nanda Hobbs titled the Mirror Electric was a fabulous example. Life like statues painting on to reflective aluminium adorned with some kind of filter you mind find on a smartphone. On first glance you might just think it tongue in cheek. And it is, but there is so much more depth to it.

On today's episode of Interview With An Artist, we talk about:

  • How's Matthew's father's financial position growing up impacted his career direction

  • How a lecturer Matthew had in his 20s had a life long impact on him,

  • Some of the amazing travel stories Matthew has,

  • And how he comes up with the many ideas he has for his art.

 
 

Interconnected Exhibition by Beautiful Bizarre

My painting on mirrored aluminium, "All In This Together" is being exhibited at “Interconnected”, an exhibition curated by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine @beautifulbizarremagazine

The work is showing alongside 70 legends in the Australian contemporary art scene (AND the touring Archibald show) at the New England Regional Art Museum @neramuseum

Beautiful Armidale also came to the party with mild autumnal weather for a weekend that encompassed an opening night with over 200 guests, awesome after party, interesting Artists panel the next morning, and afternoon soirée at Danijela's (co-founder and editor of Beautiful Bizarre) of own home, with endless champagne and even better conversation. It somehow stretched out into the evening and wound down with classic vinyl spinning and fireside conversation. Magical.

To receive the Collectors Preview email the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Danijela Krha Purssey on danijela@beautifulbizarre.net

'Interconnected' is on from 13 May - 26 June, 2022, at the New England Regional Art Museum.

106 - 114 Kentucky Street, Armidale NSW 2350. Australia

A commission and a Golden (Fibonacci) Spiral

I recently completed this large commission.

While I did not set out to exactly follow the ratios of the Golden Spiral, I certainly was aware the proportions and visual appeal adhered to the basic principals. ⁠

⁠Now with the picture is finished and delivered, just to see for myself, I tried overlaying the Golden Spiral: the only surprise really was how perfectly the two aligned.

The Moon Shot

I am going to the moon.

It's just amazing to have my artwork included as part of the Peregrine Mission One. This is the first commercial Moon landing and included in the payloads is a time capsule carrying "The Peregrine Collection," to be placed on the lunar surface in perpetuity.

The launch is scheduled for 2021 from Cape Canaveral via a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket. The lander will touch down in the Lacus Mortis region of the Moon.

Upping the ante is the incredible company I shall be amongst; many of the best contemporary artists working around the world right now. Some of them I am lucky to call friends.

Thank you Dr. Samuel Peralta and Didi Menendez for making this happen.

I'm over the moon.

Check out the whole story here: artistsonthemoon.com