Born in Newcastle in 1928. John Olsen is one of Australia’s most respected artists. He was awarded an OBE for services to the arts in 1977 and an Order of Australia in 2001.
His many artistic awards throughout his long career include the Wynne Prize in 1969 and 1985 and the Archibald Prize in 2005. His work is represented in all Australian state gallery collections, the National Gallery of Australia and regional galleries Australia-wide. He is also represented in institutional, corporate and private collections internationally.
He was an Artist Trustee of Kedumba for a period of six years.
Untitled
Media type.
Gift of the artist in 1996.
Pelican
Ink on paper.
Gift of Bill and Erika Hughes in 2000.
For 35 years the Kedumba Drawing Award has been one of the pre-eminent awards for drawing in Australia. The addition of the $20,000 prize money will ensure that the Award continues to grow and build on its success for many years to come.

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