
Michael Downs
Pink House (Bursting Landscape), 2018
Mixed media on wood and canvas
178 x 143 cm

Michael Downs
Bursting Landscape V Xingtai, 2018
Mixed media on canvas and wood
161 x 148 cm

Michael Downs
Small China Landscape II, 2016
Mixed media on wood and canvas
121 x 112 cm

Michael Downs
Dancing China II, 2015
Acrylic and oil on canvas
134 x 241

Michael Downs
Perfect World Hotel with Interchange, 2018

Michael Downs
Airport Hotel, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
168 x 153 cm

Michael Downs
Metropolis, 2014
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
198 x 120 cm

Michael Downs
Collapsing China, 2018
Acrylic on canvas and wood
198 x 166 x 171 cm

Michael Downs
Dancing China I, 2014
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
211 x 255

Michael Downs
Beijing Storm, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
148 x 158 cm

Michael Downs
Shanghai. 80t Floor. Rain, 2017
Mixed media on linen
253 x 205 cm

Michael Downs
Tianjin, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
147 x 213

Michael Downs
Chaoyang Sunset, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
201 x 227 cm

Michael Downs
Afternoon Journey 6, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
100 x 46 cm

Michael Downs
Afternoon Journey 10 , 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
115 x 38 cm

Michael Downs
Afternoon Journey 8, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
98 x 66 cm

Michael Downs
Memories of Hangzhou, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
208 x 183 x 175 cm

Michael Downs
Rain, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
177 x 173

Michael Downs
Small Chinese Tryptych, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
98 x 179

Michael Downs
Three Villages, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
245 x 166 cm

Michael Downs
The City at 3 AM, 2014
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
198 x 120 cm

Michael Downs
Tongzhou, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
171 x 109 cm
Michael Downs’ drawings reflect on compact realizations of insightful moments in daily life. They can also be understood as landscapes of social encounters transferred into abstract works. ‘This is to express the organic nature of perception; we experience the exterior world by the saccadic burst of information gathering interspersed with less alert passages of time. It bends and flows in ways which rectangles oversimplify.’ (M. Downs)
Downs was born in 1953 in Skipton, England. In 1976 he obtained a bachelor's degree from the Bath Academy of Arts, UK, and in 1994 a master's degree from the UNSW School of Fine Arts, Sydney. Since then he has developed a range of exhibitions and cooperations with art galleries, museums and art institutions both at home and abroad. During his prolific experience over more than 20 years as an artist in residence, he has participated in residency programs in Australia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, among others, in particular forming a close relationship with China. He has participated as a principal speaker at international events such as the Big Picture Conference in Peking University, China NOW Conference in Ullens Center, among others. Since 1985, he has served as a guest lecturer for over 20 institutions in Australia, China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway, South Korea and Indonesia. He lives and works in Sydney, Australia, Songzhuang, China, and Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Education
1992-1994
MFA, UNSW College of Fine Arts, Sydney, Australia
1972-1976
BA, Bath Academy of Art, Corsham, England, UK
Awards
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2017
China Views, Hive Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
Gamelan Landscapes, Lod Tundun Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
2016
Symphony of the City, Opposite House, Beijing, China
Urban Energies, HOF Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2015
China Revisited, EAE Gallery, Leiden, Holland
2014
Morphologies, EMG Gallery, Guangzhou, China
2013
New China Paintings, Syndicate Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2013
Birdbali, Made Budhianna Gallery, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
2011
China Works, Art Atrium Gallery, Bondi Junction, Sydney, Australia
SLOT Gallery, Redfern, Sydney, Australia
2010
China Works, New Sun Art Museum, 798 Art Zone, Beijing, China
2006
Soundscapes, Seymour Centre, Sydney, Australia
Selected Group Exhibitions
2018
Discrete Form , X-HuA Gallery, Berlin,
Atlas-Axis (with Sylvia Kummer), Shoenheit Gallery, Vienna, Austria
2017
Perahu, Kasihan Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2016
Gallery Artists, Made Budhiana Gallery, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Works on Paper, TAKSU Galleries, Singapore
2015
ArtJog, Perahu Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2014
New Vibrations, Museum of Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
2013
Works on Paper, Syndicate Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Stockholm AAF, Stockholm, Sweden
Transexpress, Grand Central, New York City, USA
2012
AnOther Gallery, AAF Milan, and AAF, Rome, Italy
AnOther Gallery, Art, Helsinki, Finland
Artists’ Camp Exhibition, Villa Pandan Arum, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Centenary of Collage, ICCA, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
2011
ASAP, Amelie Gallery, 798 Art Zone, Beijing, China
New Work, Taksu Gallery, Singapore
Art 3K, Art Atrium Gallery, Bondi, Sydney
2008
Spirit of Place, Hong-Ik University, Seoul, South Korea
2007
Inaugural exhibition, Sabaai Gallery, Sydney
2006
Intersections, Hong-Ik University, Seoul, South Korea
2003
Art on the Rocks, CBM Gallery, Sydney
Love Letter To China, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Paddington, Sydney
2001
International Print exhibition, Barcelona, Spain
Six Artists, Arte Lido Gallery, Central Coast, NSW
2000
Sculpture Show, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
1998
8th Taiwan International Drawing Biennale, Taipei Art Gallery, Taiwan
20th International Print Exhibition, Kanagawa, Yokohama, Japan
Eight Artists, Galerie Thurn, Stuttgart, Germany
Blue, Annandale Galleries, Sydney
Tokyo International Print Triennale, Tama University, Tokyo, Japan
1997
19th International Print Exhibition, Kanagawa, Yokohama, Japan
The Art Fair Murders, Contemporary Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
1996
11th Art International, Del Bello Gallery, Toronto
Biennale d'Art, Ville Marie, Quebec
1995
Ironsides, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Outpost Event, XLV Biennale Di Venezia, Venice
Works on Paper, Australian Embassy, Singapore
1994
Superfictions (with Peter Hill), Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
La Ville, Centro Di Cultura Contemporanea, Barcelona, Spain
Bet Your Life, Annandale Galleries, Sydney
La Ville, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
1993
Osaka International Triennale of Painting, Osaka, Japan
P & O Art Awards, National Maritime Museum, Sydney, Australia
1992
Gold Coast/Jupiters Casino Invitational, Surfers Paradise
1988/89
The Subjective City, touring to London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Birmingham
Nottingham, Norwich, Burnley, Salford and Folkestone
1987
ROL Awards, St James, London (finalist)
Athena Art Awards, Barbican Centre, London (finalist)
Residencies
2016
HOF/Surface Arts, Bangkok, Thailand
2013
Perahu Art Connection, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
China Residencies Project, Shanghai Bund, China
2012
Contemporary Yunnan, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Villa Pandan Harum, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
1995
Bundanon Centre, Shoalhaven River, NSW, Australia

Michael Downs
Pink House (Bursting Landscape), 2018
Mixed media on wood and canvas
178 x 143 cm

Michael Downs
Bursting Landscape V Xingtai, 2018
Mixed media on canvas and wood
161 x 148 cm

Michael Downs
Small China Landscape II, 2016
Mixed media on wood and canvas
121 x 112 cm

Michael Downs
Dancing China II, 2015
Acrylic and oil on canvas
134 x 241

Michael Downs
Perfect World Hotel with Interchange, 2018

Michael Downs
Airport Hotel, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
168 x 153 cm

Michael Downs
Metropolis, 2014
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
198 x 120 cm

Michael Downs
Collapsing China, 2018
Acrylic on canvas and wood
198 x 166 x 171 cm

Michael Downs
Dancing China I, 2014
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
211 x 255

Michael Downs
Beijing Storm, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
148 x 158 cm

Michael Downs
Shanghai. 80t Floor. Rain, 2017
Mixed media on linen
253 x 205 cm

Michael Downs
Tianjin, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
147 x 213

Michael Downs
Chaoyang Sunset, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
201 x 227 cm

Michael Downs
Afternoon Journey 6, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
100 x 46 cm

Michael Downs
Afternoon Journey 10 , 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
115 x 38 cm

Michael Downs
Afternoon Journey 8, 2017
Mixed media on linen on wood
98 x 66 cm

Michael Downs
Memories of Hangzhou, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
208 x 183 x 175 cm

Michael Downs
Rain, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
177 x 173

Michael Downs
Small Chinese Tryptych, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
98 x 179

Michael Downs
Three Villages, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
245 x 166 cm

Michael Downs
The City at 3 AM, 2014
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
198 x 120 cm

Michael Downs
Tongzhou, 2018
Acrylic and enamel on canvas and wood
171 x 109 cm

