Julian Meagher’s (b. 1978, Australia) Neo-Romantic paintings evoke a sense of the sublime, capturing ephemeral and ever-changing moments that occupy a state of dream reality confusion. Meagher reflects the cyclical passage of time and hope through light, nature, and portraiture. Neither one nor the other, Meagher’s paintings collapse the divide between genres. Landscapes unravel as self-portraits, capturing Meagher’s feelings towards them, while portraits of his family melt into fields of colour and abstract landscapes—both encapsulating his larger hopes for the planet, his family, and the future.

Meagher has been a finalist five times in the Archibald Portrait Prize, the Wynne Prize 2015 and the Gold Award at Rockhampton Regional Gallery 2016. Meagher has also been a finalist multiple times in the Doug Moran Portrait prize, Salon Des Refuses, Metro Art prize, Blake Prize for Religious Art and the RBS Emerging Artist Prize. In 2009 and 2012 Meagher was a recipient of the New Work Grant from the Australia Council of the Arts. Meagher’s work is included in numerous public collections including The National Portrait Gallery, Canberra; The Australian War Memorial, Canberra; Bega Valley Regional Gallery; Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery; Saint Paul’s College, Sydney University; Saint John’s College, Sydney University; The Australian Catholic University and Artbank Australia.

Photo: Zan Wimberley