Toby Raine, The Embrace of Josh Tillman (Father John Misty) and Elizabeth Woodridge Grant (Lana Del Ray), 2023. Oil on canvas, 150 x 120cm. Courtesy: the artist and James Makin Gallery, Melbourne.

Toby Raine‘s presentation at Melbourne Art Fair focuses on the creative’s inclination to evoke an alter-ego to confront the mad and insecure nature of human consciousness and ambition.

Inspired by the hangover of academia and spurred on methodically by music, New Zealand-based Raine has emerged as a leading figure in the contemporary New Zealand art scene for his heavily impasto and gestural portraits. Raine completed his Doctorate of Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts. In Australia, represented by James Makin Gallery, the artist has quickly gained a strong collectorship with a sell-out Australian debut solo exhibition, Hair of the Dog. Raine is a regular finalist in the Wallace Art Awards and the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award.

Opening Event: Vernissage, Thursday 22 February, 5 – 9pm.

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