Adam Cullen turned some of Australia’s most enduring cultural archetypes into images that were confronting, irreverent and impossible to ignore. A self-described enfant terrible, Cullen interrogated masculinity, violence, crime and the darker impulses of Australian life with a distinctive punk sensibility.

In this rare original etching, Cullen takes the familiar format of a side-by-side couple’s portrait and transforms it into something stranger, darker and distinctly uncanny.

Editioned at just 10 impressions, this is number 5/10. Another impression is held in the National Gallery of Australia, adding significant institutional provenance to an exceptionally scarce work.

Cullen’s etchings retain the rawness and psychological intensity of his paintings, balancing aggression, absurdity and vulnerability with dark humour. Beneath the provocation was a serious engagement with human frailty; a tension between repulsion and fascination that became central to his practice.

A multiple Archibald Prize finalist and winner, Cullen was the subject of a major retrospective at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2008. His work occupies an important place in Australian contemporary art, distinguished by its fearless examination of identity, violence and Australian culture.

Hand-signed and exceptionally scarce, Couple is a compelling example of Cullen’s uncompromising vision and irreverent reimagining of domestic portraiture.

Adam CULLEN (1965 - 2012)
'Couple' 2001
Etching on paper
Edition of 10
Image Size: 9 x 13 cm
Dimensions: 31 x 23 cm
Signed: Editioned, titled, signed and dated in bottom margin.
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Another impression of this work is represented at the National Gallery of Australia, accession number:2007.1549.51
Condition: Excellent
(c) Adam Cullen / Copyright Agency