GRAHAM MARCHANT
England | Lives and works in Leura, NSW
Graham Marchant is an Australian artist whose distinctive work explores light, colour, pattern and the relationship between the natural and constructed world. Originally from England, Marchant relocated to Australia in 1981 and now lives and works in Leura in the Blue Mountains. Working principally in oil, watercolour, drawing and printmaking, he has developed a highly recognisable body of work based on close observation of his surroundings.
Marchant trained in England, gaining a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Maidstone College of Art and later an MA (Hons) in Fine Art from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. He subsequently completed a PhD at the University of Newcastle, where his research focused on the depiction of gardens — a subject that has remained central to his artistic practice.
Gardens, flowers, interiors, harbour views and carefully arranged still lifes recur throughout Marchant's work. He is particularly interested in the interplay of light between interior and exterior spaces, often using windows, architectural elements and vegetation to frame a composition. Patterned fabrics, ceramics, flowers and collected objects frequently appear in his still lifes, creating richly layered compositions in which colour, pattern and light are carefully balanced.
Drawing is fundamental to Marchant's practice. He often begins with detailed observational studies before developing an image through oil painting, watercolour or printmaking. His watercolours make particular use of the medium's transparency to capture changing light and atmosphere, while maintaining the strong sense of structure and composition that characterises his work.
Alongside his studio practice, Marchant has had an extensive career in art education, teaching at tertiary institutions in Britain, Australia and the United States. From 1982 to 2002 he taught at the University of Western Sydney, holding positions including Head of Fine Art and Postgraduate Coordinator, and he has conducted numerous painting and printmaking workshops.
Marchant's career has also taken him internationally. He has undertaken artist residencies at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, the British School at Rome, the Vermont Studio Center in the United States and the Delfina Studio Trust in Spain. He has presented more than thirty solo exhibitions and participated in more than eighty significant group exhibitions.
A member of the Australian Watercolour Institute since 2005 and a former President of Sydney Printmakers, Marchant has received numerous awards during his career. His work is represented in public and institutional collections including Artbank, Australian Parliament House, the Australian National Maritime Museum and collections in Australia and Britain.
