Wendy Sharpe

The prestige that surrounds Wendy Sharpe's career is immense, having being awarded numerous major prizes and scholarships including The Portia Geach Memorial prize (2003 and 1995); The Archibald Prize (1996); The Kedumba Drawing Prize (1995); The Mercedes Benz Traveling Scholarship (1999); The Sullman prize (1986); The Marten Bequest Traveling scholarship (1986); Tenancy of the Denise Hickey studio at Cite Des Arts in Paris (1986); The Robert Le Gay Bereton Drawing prize, and many others. One of the more personally fulfilling for Sharpe's was her 1996 win of the Archibald Prize with her self portrait as Diana of Erskineville, then only the fifth in its 75yr history.

Wendy Sharpe was commissioned by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra as an Australian Official Artist to East Timor (1999-2000) - the first woman since WW2.

Sharpe is known for her strong figurative paintings, her use of narrative and the sensuous use of paint. Sharpe is the quintessential romantic painter, uncompromising, dedicated, and unconcerned by fad and fashion. Sharpe's work addresses timeless issues such as love, passion, human relationships and what it is like to live in the world, subjects rarely expressed today in contemporary art.

Wendy Sharpe’s work is based on drawing and imagination, made from intuition and experience. Sharpe's obvious drawing facility is evident in all her work helping it achieve distinctive spontaneity and directness. Sharpe is often described as a painters painter.

Wendy Sharpe has had her work included in major curated exhibitions and travelling survey shows. She has had 18 national solo shows, exhibiting regularly in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne.

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