Vale Ken Whisson

Painting fluently to the end, artist Ken Whisson was a unique Australia voice.

In 2018, Australian critic John McDonald said of Ken Whisson’s work: ‘(he) takes all the elements of everyday life and rearranges them in oblique compositions in which figures and faces are no more important than plants, animals and inanimate objects.’

What Whisson has contributed to Australian visual art over his 60+ year career has been thoughtful, individual, and has even been described as ‘uncompromising’. He has left us with an incredible legacy of works, and a spirit for making to guide many artists in their journey.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina