Richard Wastell is a Hobart-born artist known for his richly detailed paintings that reflect a deep connection to Tasmania’s wilderness. Born in 1974, Wastell graduated with first-class honours in painting from the University of Tasmania in 1996. The following year, a pivotal residency in the Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park sparked a lasting artistic focus on the delicate and complex beauty of the natural environment.
His work often features large-scale, multi-panel formats that zoom in on overlooked elements of the landscape—lichen, insects, mosses, and shells—encouraging viewers to see the familiar in new ways. These immersive compositions evoke both scientific precision and a poetic sensitivity to place.
Wastell has exhibited widely across Australia, and his work is held in major collections including the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Parliament House in Canberra, and Artbank. He is represented by Bett Gallery in Hobart and King Street Gallery in Sydney.
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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