Curator’s Radar: Brian Robinson

Herculean in dimensions, the works of Brian Robinson have graced Baroque facades and held residence in prominent public spaces across the globe and within Australia. A print and installation artist, within galleries, his works hold immense presence.

Represented by Mossenson Galleries, Perth, and Onespace, Brisbane, Robinson is a sought-after and acclaimed artist from Tropical North Queensland. Celebrated for his intricate and large-scale linocuts, detailed drawings and sculptural installations, Robinson’s practice is as diverse as it is rich.

In 2020 Robinson was a resident artist at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia, USA, culminating in a solo show Brian Robinson: Tithuyil (Moving with the Rhythm of the Stars) which also showed at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC and John Curtin Gallery, Perth. In 2022 Robinson was a finalist in the Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, and this year Robinson and Tamika Grant-Iramu’s collaborative work Carving Country 2019–21 was acquired by The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane with the support of the 2023 QAGOMA Foundation Appeal. A monograph of Robinson’s career is due to be completed in 2024, along with a major survey exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery.

“Brian is endowed with the unique ability to intertwine numerous themes and unrelated motifs into one epic piece”, says Diane Mossenson, co-founder of Mossenson Galleries. “His inspirations, drawn from the diverse elements that have influenced him, allow him to produce works of historical importance.”

“My artworks present an intoxicating worldview where signs, symbols and pop culture are interwoven with ancestral narratives, creating works that re-tell oral and written histories, mythology, politics, and spirituality,” says Robinson. “Spanning graphic prints, sculptures, drawings, and public art, each artistic area offers an insight into how I think, how I react, what I see and how I engage with the outside world.”