Bio

Michael Simms is a multi-award winning queer artist based in Sydney on Gadigal Country. His paintings range from portraiture and landscape work, to explorations of queer culture and identity in the digital age. Michael completed a degree in psychology in his hometown of Adelaide before winning a scholarship for Sydney’s Julian Ashton Art School. In 2018, he was awarded the Royal Art Society of NSW Young Artist Prize and the inaugural SBS Portrait Prize. He’s been a finalist in major art awards, including the Darling Prize, Moran and Kilgour prizes - and has put several notable Australians onto canvas including Thomas Keneally, Liz Ellis, Paul Capsis and Genevieve Lemon.

Education

2011 - 2014 Diploma of Fine Arts, The Julian Ashton Art School, Sydney (Recipient of the Sydney Mechanics School of Art Scholarship)
2006 - 2011 Bachelor of Behavioural Science and Bachelor of Arts, Flinders University, Adelaide

Solo Exhibitions

2023  Stages WorldPride, Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf, Sydney (upcoming)
2022  Memories and Dust, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2022  Stages, Manning Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2021  Distance, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne (online)
2021  Epoch, Frances Keevil, Sydney (online)         
2020  Drive, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2018  Interfacing, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2017  Brink, Cambridge Studio Gallery, Melbourne
2016  Reverie, ArtWorld Studio Gallery, Brisbane

Select Group Exhibitions

2022  Glow, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2021  Home, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2020  A Passion Shared | The ELLIOTT EYES COLLECTION, Maitland Regional Gallery, NSW
2020  Artists To Watch, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
2020  Still, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2019  Nude, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2019  Equus, Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney   
2019  Fringe, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2018  Undercurrents, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2018  Interfacing, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2018  Temporal, Lethbridge Gallery (Bulimba), Brisbane
2017  The Other Art Fair, Australian Technology Park Eveleigh, Sydney
2017  Medley II, Gaffa Gallery, Sydney
2017  Exploration 17, Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne
2017  Virtual Connections, No 1 Martin Place (Mezzanine Floor), Sydney

Select Awards and Prizes

2022  The Darling Prize, National Portrait Gallery, ACT – Finalist
2022  The Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Gallery, NSW – Finalist
2021  The Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Gallery, NSW – Finalist
2021  The Clayton Utz Art Prize, Clayton Utz, QLD – Finalist
2021  The Naked and Nude Art Prize, Manning Regional Gallery, NSW – Finalist
2021  The Lethbridge 20,000 Art Prize, Lethbridge Gallery, QLD – Finalist
2021  The SBS Portrait Prize, Southern Buoy Studios, VIC – Finalist
2020  The Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, Bega Valley Regional Gallery, NSW – Finalist
2020  The Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Gallery, QLD - Finalist
2020  The Percival Tucker Portrait Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, QLD – Finalist
2020  The Global Art Awards, Shanghai, China – Finalist
2019  The Naked and Nude Art Prize, Manning Regional Gallery, NSW – Highly Commended
2019  Melt Portrait Prize, Brisbane Powerhouse Museum, QLD – Highly Commended
2019  Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize, Campbelltown Art Centre, NSW – Finalist
2019  EMSLA Still Life Award, Project Contemporary Artspace, NSW – Finalist
2019  The 14^th International ARC Salon, Art Renewal Center, USA - Finalist
2019  Lethbridge 20,000 Art Prize, Lethbridge Gallery, QLD – Finalist
2019  Kennedy Art Prize, Kennedy Arts Foundation, SA – Finalist
2018  The Young Artist Prize, The Royal Art Society of NSW - Winner
2018  SBS Portrait Prize, Southern Buoy Studios, VIC – Winner
2018  EBNA 2018 First Prize, YSC Consultancy, NSW – Winner
2018  EBNA 2018 People’s Choice, YSC Consultancy, NSW - Winner
2018  Kilgour Art Prize, Newcastle Gallery, NSW – Finalist
2018  Hurford Harwood Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, NSW – Finalist  
2018  Melt Portrait Prize, Brisbane Powerhouse, QLD – Finalist
2018  Hunters Hill Art Prize, Hunters Hill Town Hall, NSW – Finalist
2017  Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, NSW – Finalist
2017  Lethbridge 10,000 Art Award, Lethbridge Gallery, QLD – Highly Commended
2017  Mosman Art Prize, Mosman Art Galley, NSW – Finalist
2017  EBNA, YSC Consultancy, NSW – Highly Commended
2017  Fisher’s Ghost Art Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW – Finalist
2017  Lyn McCrea Drawing Prize, Noose Regional Gallery, QLD – Finalist
2017  Manning Art Prize, Manning Regional Gallery, NSW – Finalist
2017  Marie Ellis Drawing Prize, Jugglers Art Space, QLD – Finalist
2017  Contemporary Art Awards, QLD – Finalist
2016  Cliftons Sydney Art Prize, Cliftons Sydney – Winner
2016  Cliftons Sydney People’s Choice Award, Cliftons Sydney – Winner
2016  Who Is Looking At You Portrait Prize, Cambridge Studio Gallery, VIC – Winner
2016  Black Swan Prize for Portraiture, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth – Finalist
2016  Emerging Artist Award, Fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne – Finalist
2016  Percival Tucker Portrait Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville – Finalist
2016  Blacktown Art Prize, Blacktown Arts Centre, Sydney – Finalist
2016  Marie Ellis Drawing Prize, Jugglers Art Space, Brisbane – Finalist
2016  Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Cowra - Finalist Contemporary Art Awards, Brisbane – Finalist
2016  ArtWorld Studio Portrait Prize, ArtWorld Studio Gallery, Brisbane - Highly Commended

Select Publications and Media

The Adelaide Advertiser, ‘Fielding an Electric Talent’, June 2022
The Music, ‘Top Talents to Watch in 2018’, January 2018
Talking With Painters The Podcast, Episode 24, 2017
ABC Weekend Breakfast, 15 October 2017
The Guardian Australia, 11 October 2017

Residencies

2021  The Broken Hill Art Exchange
2019  The New York Academy of Art Summer Undergraduate Residency Program
2019  Artist in Residence at St Patrick’s College, Srathfield
2019  Artist in Residence at Champagnat College, Pagewood

Collections

The Elliott Eyes Collection, Sydney
The Thomas Keneally Centre at the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Art
YSC Consultancy, Sydney
Cliftons Venues, Sydney
St Patrick’s College Strathfield, Sydney
Champagnat College Pagewood, Sydney

Commissions Enquiry