One of Australia’s most recognisable artists, Ken Done, is set to bring his joyful paintings to the Gold Coast with a landmark exhibition at HOTA, Home of the Arts.
The 85-year-old is known for iconic depictions of the Sydney Harbour, alongside reflective paintings of his home and garden. Ken Done: No Rules includes paintings from the 1980s to today, largely drawn from Done’s personal collection.
Done’s artistic flair emerged early in his teens. At 14 years old, he left school to enter the National Art School in East Sydney, and commenced his prolific career as an art director and designer five years later, travelling across New York, London, and Sydney. Becoming a painter full time at the age of 40, Done opened his first solo exhibition in 1980.
Ken Done: No Rules marks a 45-year journey. ‘I’m delighted to be having such a major exhibition in such a beautiful gallery,’ says Done. ‘To have the chance to see works from over 40 years shown together is very special for me and I hope it brings pleasure to a wide audience.’
For over four decades, Done has created art according to his own philosophy ‘that an artist can – and should – create their own rules’.
In Ken Done: No Rules, a selection of iconic paintings will come alive through animation, offering a new way to experience the artist’s vibrant universe.
In a celebration of art, fashion and collaboration, the exhibition also features a selection of garments from Done Zone, the 2023 collaborative collection between the artist and renowned Australian fashion label Romance Was Born.
Experience Gold Coast Head of Arts and Culture Yarmila Alfonzetti says ‘Ken Done’s work has long been a part of the fabric of Australian visual culture, and it’s a joy to bring this expansive and deeply personal exhibition to the Gold Coast.’
Ken Done: No Rules is set to be an exhibition for all ages, opening on 13 September 2025 and running until 15 February 2026 at HOTA, Surfers Paradise.
Discover more arts, games and screen reviews on ArtsHub and ScreenHub.
Also on ArtsHub: ‘Songlines’ to be included in landmark exhibition exchange between Australia and China
The National Museum of Australia’s critically acclaimed exhibition Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, which managed to defy COVID border closures and travel to the UK and Germany in 2020 and 2021, is now slated to open in China. In a media release received today (16 July), the Minister for the Arts Tony Burke described the exchange as a sign of strengthening ties between the two countries.
A memorandum of understanding between the National Museums of Australia and China will lead to the Songlines exhibition opening at the latter in November 2026.
The following month will see a reciprocal agreement, with the Terracotta Warriorsexhibition loaned to the National Museum of Australia from the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre. The warriors were created more than 2000 years ago, and their discovery by farmers in March 1974 is considered one of the great archeological finds of the 20th century.
Read more…
