Growing up on Sydney Beaches, and now living on the north coast of New South Wales, Marko Hrubyj-Piper has become synonymous with his paintings of coastal scenes. Australian beach culture continues to be the focus of his new series, Lifestyle Choices, which documents moments of leisure experienced when connecting with people and landscape. Paintings feature figures lazing on sundrenched sand, floating on paddleboards and swimming through sparkling ocean waters.
Youthful characters are often modelled on friends and memories, revisited or reimagined. When recreating and reconfiguring past moments, Marko explains that he is generating a dialogue between different places and figures. There is an undeniable sense of intimacy that is established within these relationships. This is made visible through friends and lovers whose barely clothed bodies are often reclining, resting or embracing. Occasionally one of the figures will meet the viewer’s gaze, inviting them to join their carefree world.
After sharpening his technical skills for the past ten years, Marko states that he draws from “traditional and impressionistic painting ideas and moments of random expression to create something thoughtful and, hopefully, magical”. This experimental approach to painting can be witnessed in the way that Marko uses shape, tone and texture to render a strong and almost overexposed sunlight. In some instances, light and reflection appear so intensely that it becomes depicted through white negative space.
Lifestyle Choices will be Marko’s first solo exhibition at Studio Gallery Group. Marko has exhibited extensively across his home state of NSW, and has been acquired within private collections across Australian and internationally.
- Words by Gabrielle Bergman
2023 September 14 Solo Exhibit “lifestyle choices” with Studio Gallery 3-7 Danks Street, Sydney
2019 November, Studio Gallery Group Representation
2019-2020 December to January, The Wellington Gallery Grand opening exhibition, Waterloo, Sydney
2019 October 24-27, ‘the other art fair’ Barangaroo, Sydney
2019 March-April, Solo Exhibit, ‘Poolside and some old works’, @ ESD Gallery, Darlinghurst, Sydney.
2018 Ippuku Cafe Mural, Zetland, Sydney
2018 June, Painting fundamentals workshop residency, Madrid, Spain
2017 October, ‘The Other Art Fair’, @ the Australian Technology Park, Sydney
2015 February, The Silver Screen group exhibition @ The Corner Co-oprative, Chippendale
2014 January, Group show 'The Intimate Whole' @ The Corner Co-oporative, Chippendale
2013 Hunter Vally Artist Residency January/February @ Paul Sellwood's art shed
2012 Solo Drawing Exhibition ($100 buck show) - Bondi
2009 Mosman Youth Art Prize
2008 Mosman Youth Art Prize watercolour finalist
2008 Solo Exhibition - Ray White Gallery, Bondi, Art Express Works
2008 Art Express, Regional Travelling Art express Show
2013 Julian Ashton Art School Colour theory course
2008-2012 National Art School graduate - BFA
National Art School graduate - 2008-2012 BFA