About the Artist

Gary Abkin was born in northern California in 1967. He studied painting at the California Institute of the Arts and then the San Francisco Art Institute where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting. He relocated from California to Queensland in 2003 and he now resides in Ipswich.

Gary has exhibited work throughout the United States and Australia. In 2022, 2023 and 2024 he had solo shows at the A.K Bellinger Gallery in NSW. The artist has also exhibited at the Lethbridge Gallery in Brisbane, Caloundra Regional Gallery for the Sunshine Coast Art Prize, the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, Palma Rosa Art Gallery, the Churchie National Emerging Art Prize exhibition and his work has twice toured throughout Queensland by Flying Arts Inc. as part of the Regional Art Award exhibition.

Gary is a prolific maker working across the fields of painting, sculpture and music.

Education

1998 BFA Painting San Francisco Art Institute
1986 Under Grad Painting- California Institute of the Arts

Solo Exhibitions

2024  "Days on the land" A.K Bellinger Gallery, NSW

2023  "Blue Sky Day" A.K Bellinger Gallery, NSW

2022  "On The Range" A.K Bellinger Gallery, NSW

2019  "Australia and Australians" First Coat Studios, Toowoomba, Queensland
2018  “Days in the Hide 'beauty is not always a reliable guide to truth'”
2018  Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery, Crows Nest, Queensland
2011  "abkin" The Swich Contemporary Art Space, Ipswich, Queensland
2010  "Inside the Switch" The Cactus Espresso Bar, Ipswich, Queensland
2009  'Meat Inside" The Carthew Gallery, New Farm, Queensland
2003  "Chronic Pamela Skinner Gallery, Sacramento, California
2002  "Under" Sinful Art Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada
2001  *Art and Environment Peckock Art Gallery, Las Vegas, Nevada
2000  "Confessions of the Physical" Allied Arts, Bellingham, Washington
2000  "Pretty" 706 Gallery, San Jose, California

Group Exhibitions

2022  "Shapeshifters” Lethbridge Gallery Paddington, Queensland

2022  "Lethbridge Landscape Prize" Lethbridge Gallery Paddington, Queensland

2019  “Brisbane Portrait Prize” Brisbane, Queensland 
2019  “Derek and Friends” AK Bellinger Gallery, Inverell NSW
2019  “Ipswich Art Awards” Ipswich
2015  "LOCAL NOW" Ipswich Art Gallery 

2014  Regional Art Award Travelling Exhibition

2013  "Subterfuge" Ipswich Community Gallery, Queensland
2012  ”Sunshine Coast Art Prize Finalist” Caloundra Regional Gallery, Queensland
2010  ”Ipswich Art Awards” Ipswich Art Gallery Community Gallery, Queensland
2010  “You Know U Want Art” Skinner Howard Gallery, Sacramento, California

Amongst Others