Archibald Prize 2016. Finalists. Guy Warren

Artist: Danelle Bergstrom

Title: Guy Warren

Medium: Oil on linen

Dimensions: 183 x 152.5 cm

Renowned artist Guy Warren won the Archibald Prize in 1985 with a portrait of his artist friend and neighbour Bert Flugelman. Now he is an Archibald subject.

Born in Goulburn, NSW, in 1921, Warren moved to London in 1950. He did not develop an affinity with London city scenes or the cultivated English landscapes but turned instead to his memories of the rugged rainforest of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, where he was stationed during World War II. He returned to Sydney in 1959 and has been the subject of more than 50 solo exhibitions, including a recent exhibition at the SH Ervin Gallery on his 95th birthday.

‘Guy Warren is a philosophical artist who is deeply interested in the relationship between humanity and nature. Adventurous in both life and art, with an innate curiosity and inventiveness, he is obdurate in pursuit of his vision,’ says Danelle Bergstrom. ‘I have always admired Guy for his sensitivity, his gentleness and his total commitment to his work. I share with him a love and passion for and a connection to the land.’

Born in Sydney in 1957, Bergstrom has exhibited widely throughout Australia and internationally since 1980. She has been a finalist more than 20 times in major portrait prizes, including the Portia Geach Memorial Award and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize as well as the Archibald Prize, and has won the Packing Room Prize twice.