b. 1981 Sydney, Australia
Lives and works in Sydney
Dean Brown is a Sydney-based painter and printmaker known for his formal rendering of figures and objects that contain a characteristic stillness, speaking to quiet moments in time. In Brown’s work, two central components define his practice: the form and its shadow.
Brown’s works negotiate time and space. By drawing figures from the crowd and placing them in a painted void, Brown speaks to the solitary nature of human existence. As we watch his figures confront infinite space alone, we are reminded of the
individuality we so often lose sight of amid the chaos of the world. His works are bold, yet they realise time in a way that is steady and quiet. Every angle is considered, each striking colour carefully selected, and the body parts fitted together like pieces to an anatomical puzzle. Shrouded in stillness and anonymity, Brown’s prints and paintings contain both a familiar and enigmatic quality.
As curator Sharne Woolfe writes, Brown “finds beauty in the humble, everyday experiences of ordinary people.” Adopting the role of voyeur, his works muse on the mundane and carefully observe the subtle nuances of quotidian life. Following the mantra “paint what’s available to you,” Brown finds his subjects close to his inner-city studio or along the beach. Inspired by chance scenes and encounters, his paintings capture a distinct moment in the life of each construction worker, supervisor, pedestrian, or early morning swimmer — celebrating the worth of each subject and converting each fleeting moment into something more extraordinary.
Brown holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours from the National Art School, a Diploma of Design from TAFE Sydney, and studied Classical drawing and painting at the Julian Ashton Art School, Sydney from 2000 to 2007. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions across Australia and internationally, and he has been a finalist in the Archibald Prize, Australian Print Triennial Prize, Fremantle Arts Centre Print Award, Mosman Art Prize, and Burnie Print Prize. In 2011, he was awarded the Storrier Onslow National Art School Paris Studio Residency at Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris.
