About
Hilton Owen is an Australian artist based in Castlemaine, Victoria. His paintings combine realist, abstract and figurative elements to depict unique and evocative images of contemporary life, fashion and imagination.
Hilton paints to discover innovative ways to depict the human figure by working intuitively to transform what he sees around him into highly creative, colourful and compelling artworks.
Hilton has held 16 solo exhibitions of his paintings and won several art prizes as well as being selected as a finalist in numerous others. He began his painting career with two sold-out solo exhibitions aged 18 and 19 while completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Tasmania. In 2019 Hilton obtained an Honours degree in painting from the Victorian College of the Arts. Upon graduating he was selected to represent the university in the Nino Sanciolo Art Prize.
Hilton's artistic influences span a wide range of creative practices including modernist abstraction, early 20th century figurative painting, contemporary design and fashion, Art Deco and individual artists such as Francis Bacon, Bridget Riley, Carmen Herrera and many more.
Hilton continues to advance his artistic practice through a distinctive style with a passionate devotion to the art of painting. His social media following continues to grow in addition to showing in solo, group and art prize exhibitions.
CV
b. 22nd December 1988, Melbourne, Australia.
EDUCATION
2019 BFA Honours, Victorian College of the Arts
2015 Life Drawing, University of the Arts London, Central Saint Martin’s
2011 Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Tasmania
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 Culture Instance, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2020 Hilton Owen & Vika Fifita, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2018 New Paintings, Gaffa Gallery, Sydney
2016 London Paintings, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2015 Eight Scenes of Love, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2014 New Paintings, GallerySmith Project Space, Melbourne
2013 Cosmopolis, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2012 New Paintings 2012, Friends of Leon Gallery, Sydney
2012 Distant Screams, 19 Karen Contemporary Artspace, Queensland
2011 Commodity, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2010 Ubiquity, Harrison Galleries, Sydney
2010 People, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2009 System, Harrison Galleries, Sydney
2008 Zoo World, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2007 Product Placement Promotion, Red Wall Gallery, Tasmania
2006 Clothing Retail Industry, Inflight Art, Tasmania
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 A Sense Of Self, Platform Exhibitions, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2023 Auction For Change, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2022 Lethbridge 2000 Small Scale Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery, Queensland
2022 Blacktown City Art Prize, Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre, NSW
2021 Nino Sanciolo Art Prize, Gallery Elysium, Melbourne
2019 VCA Graduate show (Honours), Victorian College of the Arts
2017 Prospect Portrait Prize, Prospect Gallery, South Australia
2017 Vika Fifita, Nathan Grey, Hilton Owen, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2017 Glover Prize, Falls Park Pavilion, Evandale,Tasmania
2015 We All Draw, Gallery OXO, Southbank, London
2014 Still Life, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2012 Bay Of Fires Art Prize, Gallery Parnella, Tasmania
2012 Skin, Poimena Gallery, Tasmania
2011 Handmark Artists, Handmark Gallery, Tasmania
2009 Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery’s Art foundation, TMAG, Tasmania
2009 Birchalls Art Prize, Academy Gallery, Tasmania
2008 Handmark Gallery Summer Show, Tasmania
2008 Menzies Research Institute Fundraiser Show, Tasmania
2008 Tasmanian Portrait Prize touring exhibition, Tasmania
2006 ART RAGE 2006, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
2006 Abel Tasman Art Prize finalists, Tasmania
2006 Young Archies Awards Exhibition, Tasmania
AWARDS AND PRIZES
2023 Finalist, Omnia Art Prize
2023 Finalist, Lethbridge 2000 Small Scale Art Award
2022 Finalist, Clayton Utz Art Award
2022 Finalist, Lethbridge 2000 Small Scale Art Award
2021 Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize
2019 Finalist, Nino Sanciolo Art Prize
2017 Finalist, Prospect Portrait Prize
2017 Finalist, Bay of Fires Art Prize
2017 Finalist, Glover Prize
2012 Finalist, Bay Of Fires Art Prize
2009 Finalist, Birchalls Art Prize
2008 Winner, Tasmanian Portrait Prize
2007 Winner, Rotary Club of Hobart’s Ted Pool Memorial Painting Prize
2007 Finalist, Noise + Art and Australia’s 25/25 competition
2006 Winner, Young Archies Portrait Prize
2006 Finalist, Abel Tasman Art Prize