Joe Blundell was born in London and emigrated to Melbourne in 2008.
Self-taught as an artist, but with a degree in plant biology Joe is drawn to depictions of nature in his art - sometimes pure landscape and sometimes looking at the interplay between nature and the man-made.
A feature of Joe’s landscape work is intimate, depictions of nature’s entanglements and the fight for survival.
Less interested in big vistas and more pre-occupied with the experience of being in the bush his landscape work reflects the complexity he sees in botanical nature.
A recurring theme in Joe’s work is the concept of renewal in the natural world – the balance of life and death amongst plants and trees.
Forces of nature which exist independently of humans but are subject to the influence of mankind.
Joe's landscape paintings have been a finalist and award winner in Australia's leading landscape prizes including The Hadley’s Art Prize and The Paddington Art Prize.
Joe exhibits regularly in Melbourne and paints from his studio in Swan Street, Richmond.
Selected Exhibitions
2023 - Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2022 – Paddington Art Prize Defiance Award and Residency winners exhibition, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2019 – Paddington Art Prize, Menzies Art Brands, Sydney [Group]
2019 – Hadley’s Art Prize, Hadley’s Orient Hotel, Hobart [Group]
2019 – Habitats, Tacit Gallery, Collingwood, VIC [SOLO]
2018 – Urban Nature, Hawthorn Gallery, Hawthorn East, VIC [SOLO]
2018 – Impressions of Melbourne, Without Pier Gallery, Cheltenham, VIC [Group]
2017 – Without Pier Gallery, Cheltenham, VIC [Group]
2014 – Artist & Illustrators, Artist of the Year, Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, UK [Group]
Prizes and Awards
2024 - Fleurieu Art Prize [finalist]
2023 – Calleen Art Prize, [finalist]
2023 - Hawkesbury Art Prize [Commended]
2022 – Calleen Art Prize, [finalist],
2022 - Doug Moran Prize [semi-finalist]
2021 – Paddington Art Prize, Sydney [Winner, Paddington Art Prize Defiance Gallery/ResidencyAward]
2020 - Blacktown City Art Prize [Finalist], Victorian Artist's Society Winter Exhibition [Highly Commended]
2019 – Paddington Art Prize, Sydney [Winner, Honourable Mention Prize]
2019 – Hadley’s Art Prize, Hobart [Finalist]
2019 – Camberwell Art Show, Melbourne [Winner, City of Boroondara Prize]
2019 – Marvellous Melbourne, Its art and soul, Melbourne [Winner, Peoples Choice Award]
2018 – St Kevins Art Show, Melbourne [Winner, Peoples Choice Award]
2017 – Camberwell Art Show, Melbourne [Highly Commended]
2016 – Kennedy Prize, South Australia [Finalist]
2014 – Artist & Illustrators, Artist of the Year Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, UK [Finalist]
Selected Publications
2019 – Dr Amy Jackett, “Fires, Floods and desert Lakes” Catalogue Essay, Hadley’s Art Prize, July 21, 2019
Collections
St Vincents Hospital, Wesfarmers, E&P Financial Group.
