Robert Delves: Mimesis

26 February - 6 April 2025

ROBERT DELVES

Mimesis 26 Feb - 6 April, 2025

Opening 6-8pm Thursday 27 February 

CONTACT GALLERY


In 'Mimesis', Robert Delves unveils an affecting exploration of human connection through a curated collection of drawings and sculptures that intertwine intimacy, urgency, and raw emotion. For the first time in a career spanning three decades, this exhibition is defined by an equilibrium between drawings and sculptural works, featuring small and large works on paper alongside a collection of tile slab works, inviting viewers to engage in a profound dialogue about our shared experiences.

Drawing, the cornerstone of Delves' creative process, serves as both a spontaneous reflection of life and a meticulous groundwork for his sculptural forms, where the fluidity of clay captures the essence of movement, gesture, and emotion. Delves' use of glaze transforms his pieces into living entities, revealing the interplay of light, shadow, and the natural environments that inspire him.

Through his body of work, Delves encourages us to pause and truly observe the world around us, inviting us to reconnect with the vibrant tapestry of humanity that pulses beneath the surface of our daily lives.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2025 Mimesis, Kelli Lundberg Art, The Studio & Co. Mornington Peninsula, Vic

2024 Robert Delves, & Gallery, Sorrento, VIC

2011 Australian Art Resources, Melbourne, VIC

2009 Robert Delves: The Art Rebel, Harrison Galleries, NSW

2006 Anita Traverso Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2003 Dickerson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

2000 Dickerson Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

1999 Blu Pols Gallery, Melbourne,

1997 George Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

1995 Pinacothea, Melbourne, VIC

1993 Pinacothea, Melbourne, VIC

1993 Gasworks, Melbourne, Australia

1987 Devise Gallery, South Melbourne, VIC


GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023 Robert Delves & Ana Barrientos, & Gallery, Sorrento, VIC

2018 Linden Postcard Show, VIC

2014 Urban Show, Manyung Gallery, Mt Eliza, VIC

2013 Shared Space, Melbourne, VIC

2009 Contemporary Small Sculpture Award Show, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC

2009 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition, Yering Station, Yarra Glen, VIC

2009 City of Darebin and La Trobe University Art Prize, Melbourne, VIC

2008 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition, Yering Station, Yarra Glen, VIC

2007 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition, Yering Station, Yarra Glen, VIC

2007 Toyota Sculpture Exhibition, Melbourne, VIC

2006 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition, Yering Station, Yarra Glen, VIC

2006 Montalto Sculpture Prize Finalists Exhibition, Mornington Peninsula, VIC

2005 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition, Yering Station, Yarra Glen, VIC

2005 Contempora 2, Docklands Festival of Sculpture at New Quay, Melbourne, VIC

2004 Maritime Art Award, Melbourne, VIC

2001 Grounds for Sculpture, McClelland Gallery, Langwarrin, VIC

2000 Unbearable Beauty, Gasworks Sculptors, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

1998 Herman’s Show Award, Melbourne, VIC

1998 City of Darebin and La Trobe University Art Prize, Melbourne, VIC

1997 Gas Art, Linden Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

1997 City of Darebin and La Trobe University Art Prize, Melbourne, VIC

1996 The Art Maker, Next Wave Festival, Motor Works Gallery, Melbourne, VIC

1995 The Portrait, Platform, Spencer Street Railway Station, Melbourne, VIC

1995 Nilumbik Art Award, Melbourne, VIC

1995 Art Forum/ARTEFACT, Singapore

1995 Quoquo / ARTEFACT, Hong Kong

1995 Victoria House / ARTEFACT, London, UK

1994 Quoquo/ ARTEFACT, Hong Kong

1994 Option, West Space, Melbourne, VIC

1994 Gasworks Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Melbourne, VIC

1994 A Four Art, West Space, Melbourne, VIC

1994 Madame de Sade, Gallery Rhumbarallas, Melbourne, VIC

1994 The 25th Alice Prize, NT

1993 The Keith and Elizabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship, Victorian College of the Arts

1992 Conrad Jupiter's Art Prize, Gold Coast, QLD

1991 Diamond Valley Acquisitive Exhibition, VIC

1990 National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC

1986 Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW


COLLECTIONS

The Hermans Group, Melbourne

Eltham Shire, Victoria

Wesley College, Melbourne

Riddoch Regional Gallery, South Australia

Private Collections in Australia, United States of America, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.


AWARDS, RESIDENCIES & GRANTS

2013 Winner, Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Sculpture Award

2012 Winner, Heidi Sculpture Award

2009 Winner, Prometheus Visual Art Award – Student’s Choice

2008 Winner, Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition

2008 Winner, Riddoch Gallery Sculpture Exhibition

2007 Yering Station Leader Award

2000 Pat Corrigan Grant

1991 Shortlisted, Keith and Elizabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship, Victorian College of the Arts

1998 Eltham Shire Award, VIC

1989 Foundation Award, Victorian College of the Arts


PUBLICATIONS

Roger Taylor World Sculpture News, 2001

Peter Tims The Age, January 2000

Christopher Heathcote The Age Review, April1993

Northen Ingram Queenslander Weekend Review, September 1992

VCA ‘Tell Them it was Wonderful’, Exhibition Catalogue, 1990

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