1951 - 1999

Howard Arkley is one of Australia’s most beloved and sought-after artists. Arkley’s work is characterised by a fascination with the everyday, famous for his psychedelic depictions of suburbia. Across Arkley’s expansive practice, he borrowed imagery from human figures, masks and suburban homes that reflected on his childhood spent in the Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills. 

Arkley was understood by many as a quintessential Australian Popist - a term used to describe the emergence of Australian artists during the 1980s that were inspired by the Pop Art movement. For Arkley, this meant the development of a signature style that uses a commercial airbrush and bold, often juxtaposing colours and patterns to represent everyday life. This style is easily recognisable, making him one of Australia’s most iconic artists of the 20th century. 

Arkley’s work features in the collections of several major Australian institutions, including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and National Portrait Gallery. During his lifetime he was Australia’s representative at the 1999 Venice Biennale and was recognised across several solo exhibitions and retrospectives.