H. J. Wedge b. 1958

Also known as Harry Wedge
  • Artist (Painter)
Harry Wedge is a Wiradjuri artist whose work has been exhibited widely within Australia and internationally. His painterly, garishly coloured figurative paintings express the artist's childhood memories of mission life and provide commentary on a range of social and political issues, often presented in dream-like narrative form.
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Wiradjuri artist Harry Wedge was born in Cowra, NSW in 1958. Illiterate and largely self-taught, Wedge’s only period of formal training was at Eora College in Sydney between 1989 and 1993. Wedge’s 'outsider’ status has proven to be a creative asset, as he has developed a unique, surreal painterly aesthetic. Working with acrylic paints, he employs garish colours and presents his memories and social commentary in dreamlike, narrative form.

His memories of growing up on Erambie mission are a dominant theme in his work, however he also consistently engages with a wide range of current social and political issues. Wedge has had a long association with Boomalli Aboriginal Artist’s Cooperative, holding his first exhibition there (with Ian Abdulla) in 1991 and participating in many group and solo shows there during the 1990s. His first solo exhibition 'Wiradjuri Spirit Man’ was held at the Tandanya National Aboriginal Culture Centre in Adelaide in 1992. Wedge’s artistic career gained impetus in 1993 when he was artist in residence at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and his work was included in the Australian Perspecta and the 25th Budapest Autumn Festival. In that year he was also awarded the NSW Ministry for the Arts Indigenous Arts Fellowshi

Significant group exhibitions have included Urban Focus in 1994 (National Gallery of Australia), 'True Colours’ in 1994 (Boomalli and touring internationally), the 2002 Sydney Biennale and the Inaugural National Indigenous Art Triennial 'Culture Warriors’ in 2007 (NGA).

Writers:
Fisher, Laura
Date written:
2007
Last updated:
2011

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Related collections
  • Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative, Sydney, NSW (collected in)
  • Moree Plains Gallery, Moree, NSW (collected in)
  • Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra, NSW (collected in)
  • Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown, NSW (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC (collected in)
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative, Sydney, NSW (collected in)
  • Moree Plains Gallery, Moree, NSW (collected in)
  • Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra, NSW (collected in)
  • Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown, NSW (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC (collected in)
  • Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)