Matthew Sansom is an Australian artist whose work is deeply rooted in the natural world. His artwork is a response to nature, form, and light. He often works en plein air, directly connecting him to the immediate essence of his surroundings. With expressive brushwork and a love for colour, Sansom interprets terrain as it interacts with the atmosphere.
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After training in Art and Design at Geelong TAFE (1993), Sansom lived between country Victoria and Melbourne, where he was involved in community theater, set, and costume design/making. Between 1998 and 2000, he collaborated with the Chandrabhanu Dance Company and School of Classical Arts as a lighting, stage, and costume assistant to Geoffrey Goldie and Chandrbhanu.
During this time of exposure to performing arts and Melbourne's artistic communities, he produced a series of paintings and drawings for the Brunswick Art Collective.
In 2000 he relocated to the UK. While living in the Devon countryside, he painted a series of plein air paintings and experimental studio works. These formative experiences set the tone for his artistic voice.
Matthew returned to Australia in 2004 to expand his creative portfolio, exploring drawing, print mediums, and oil painting. With a focus on landscape and botanical, he has produced five solo exhibitions.
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Sansom is currently curating a showroom, GALLEON, in Bangalow, NSW. His art continues to be a testament to his connection with nature, capturing the subtle interplay of light and form in the Australian landscape.
Born 1974.
Ballarat, Victoria Australia
Grew up in Geelong, Victoria.
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Solo Exhibitions
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'ULYSSUS GARDEN'
La Ventana, Adliya, Kingdom of Bahrain,
March, 2016
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NUAGES
Byron Bay, Australia
March 2018
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CLOSE TO HOME
Gallery 3
Byron Bay, Australia
April 2021
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WINTER LIGHT
The Lobby
Byron Bay
September 2021
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FIELD OF COLOUR
The Arts corner
Bangalow
May 2022
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Group Exhibitions
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2022 Birds Gallery 3 Byron Bay. Kitchen Blue Bird.
2021 D'Arcy Doyle Awards, Mudgeeraba QLD. Looking back at Broken Heads.
2021 Birds, Gallery 3. The Raven, Spotted peafowl, Plover on Teal.
2020 Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery. 'Fashioned from Clay'
2020 Border Art Prize, Tweed Heads National Gallery, 'Resilience'
2019 Gallery 7 prize. Byron Bay. 'Woebegone Raven'
2018 Border Art Prize, Tweed River National Gallery. Reclining Shoreline.
2017 Lethbridge 10 000, Brisbane. 'Tallow Wood'
2016 Border Art Prize. Tweed Regional Gallery, Qld. Woompoo Fruit Dove
2016 Ocean Shores Art Expo. ‘Banksia Branch’ and ‘Honeysuckle Hill’
2016 Byron Bay Art Expo, Byron Community Center. ‘Olive Oriole’
2014 Caldera Art Expo, Tweed River National Gallery. ‘Coucal Pheasant at sunrise’
2013 Northern Rivers Portrait Awards. Lismore Regional Gallery. Portrait of George C Weir.
2009 Caldera Art Expo. The Center Beaudesert. ‘Closed Forest of the Caldera’
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Awards and Prizes
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2019 Second place, Ocean Shores Art Expo, Grass Trees at Dawn.
2018 Second place, Ocean Shores Art Expo, Bridge over Tallow Creek.
2017 Third place, Fruits Gallery, Lismore. 'Reclining shoreline"
2017 Third place (acrylics and oils) Ocean Shores Art Expo, "Tallow Wood".
2016 First prize (Acrylic and oils) Ocean Shores Art Expo. ‘Banksia Branch’
2012 Second place (Acrylics and oils) 'A Moonlit Summers Night'. Ocean Shores Art Expo.
2009 First place, Caldera Art Expo 'Closed Forests of the Caldera’. Beaudesert Regional Gallery.
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Bibliography
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2013 Nature series published by Blue Island Press, in gift cards.
2015 Artworks and artists' statements featured in the editorial 'Acrylic Sachet Mixte Themes' France.
2017 The Zoc publishing house. Images and artist statement. Indiana USA.
2023 Northern Rivers Times, image and artist statement. NSW Australia.
2023-5 Gift card range with Galleon Bangalow NSW Australia.
2023 Artwork feature, for the mini-series 'Apples Never Fall' (Roadhouse Productions)
2023 Artwork feature for Mini series 'Apple cider vinegar' (Wellness productions)
2024 Artwork collection features with interior design for Inside Out magazine, Sydney Australia
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