Inside the artist's luminous works.
John Coburn (1925–2006) occupies a singular place in Australian art. His radiant compositions of suns, leaves, and spiritual geometry unite the aesthetic, the earthly, and the divine. From early encounters with European modernism to a lifelong engagement with faith and nature, Coburn forged a distinctly Australian abstract vision — one that blended Western modernism, his Catholic faith, Aboriginal spirituality, and the rhythms of the natural world.
John Coburn 'Curtain of the Sun'
While his canvases glow with meditative colour, Coburn’s screenprints distill the same energy into pure graphic form. Working with the precision of a designer and the intuition of a painter, he used the silkscreen medium to explore balance, rhythm, and transcendence. His recurring motifs — the sun, the tree of life, the seasons — pulse with optimism and warmth, their simplicity revealing a deeper spiritual order.
This collection brings together original paintings and limited-edition graphics, offering a panoramic view of his artistic language. From the calm blue of ‘Sentinel’ to the luminous golden landscape of ‘Yellow Landscape with White Bird'’ each work reflects his belief that art could uplift and illuminate.
John Coburn 'Yellow Landscape with White Bird'
Fellow artist Charles Blackman once reflected, “John Coburn… strives for the ideal. His commitment to the organic shape of his religious feeling has been unfailing.” Through both paint and print, Coburn’s vision endures — a celebration of colour, form, and faith in harmony.
John Coburn 'Red Landscape with Blue Centre'
