Mason Kimber (b 1985, Perth, Australia) is a Sydney-based visual artist whose work explores the inbetweenness of architecture and memory. His practice deals with the collision of experienced places—interiors and exteriors connected to personal stories. Applying an archeological approach to painting, Kimber creates reliefs, collages and site-specific installations through which fragments of recollection and history are embedded.
Kimber holds a Master of Fine Art (painting) from the National Art School, Sydney, and was a finalist in the Churchie National Emerging Art Prize, the Sulman Prize, Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship and the NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging). He has been awarded studio residencies at the British School at Rome, Italy, Parramatta Artists Studios, Waverley Artists Studios and Artspace, Sydney and is a current artist in residence at Shirlow Street Studios, Sydney.
Recent projects include: Afternoon, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne, (2019), Slanted Mansions, COMA, Sydney (2018), Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize, NAS Gallery, Sydney (2018), Arcades, Galerie pompom, Sydney (2017), and NEW16, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne (2016).
In December 2019, Kimber will develop a new performative sculptural installation at Galerie Allen, Paris as part of Prologue I, a multi-site exhibition centered around Galerie Allen, Cite International des arts - Site de Montmartre, KADIST & Public Space. This project will be assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
Kimber is a lecturer in Painting at the National Art School, Sydney and a tutor in Art Processes & Architecture at the University of Sydney, School of Architecture.
Mason Kimber is represented in Melbourne by Sophie Gannon Gallery.
2013 Master of Fine Art (Painting), National Art School, Sydney
2008 Bachelor of Art (Honours), Curtin University of Technology, Perth
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Afternoon, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Slanted Mansions, COMA, Sydney
2018 Future Relics, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Melbourne
2017 Arcades, Galerie pompom, Sydney
2015 Oltre la Vista, Galerie pompom, Sydney
2014 Stranger At Home, Archive Space, Sydney
2013 Screen Memory, MOP Projects, Sydney
2013 Sin Rastros (Without A Trace), Residencia Corazon, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Group Exhibitions
2019 Prologue I: Tongue on tongue, nos salives dans ton oreille, Galerie Allen, Paris, France (forthcoming Dec)
2019 Sumer Gallery at Spring 1883, The Establishment, Sydney
2019 The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
2018 Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize (Emerging), NAS Gallery, Sydney
2018 Pulp Fiction, Galerie pompom, Sydney
2017 Paper Cuts, Tripp Gallery, London, UK
2017 Young Moderns, Lewers House Gallery, Penrith Regional Gallery, Penrith
2017 Master of Three Worlds, COMA, Sydney
2016 Auckland Art Fair, Galerie pompom, The Cloud, Auckland
2016 NEW16, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne
2016 Interiors/Exteriors, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney
2015 NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging), Artspace, Sydney
2015 Right Here, Right Now, Penrith Regional Gallery and Lewers Bequest, Penrith
2015 Roman Remains, Transition Gallery, London, UK
2015 Facade, Artereal Gallery, Sydney
2014 Sydney Painting Now, Galerie pompom, Sydney
2014 June Mostra, British School at Rome, Italy
2014 Spazi Aperti, Romanian Academy in Rome, Italy
2014 The InterGalactic Image Factory, Liverpool Street Gallery, Sydney
2013 Stockland, Galerie pompom, Sydney
2013 Emporio Armani National Art School Postgraduate Exhibition, National Art School, Sydney
2013 Small Works, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
2012 Think Twice, Gallery Eight, Sydney
2012 Kaleidoscope, Suola di Grafica Internazionale Gallery, Venice, Italy
2009 Better History, Seven Eleven Gallery, New York, US
2008 Art Melbourne 08, Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne
2007 Perrine Contemporary Art Award, Greenhill Gallery, Perth
2007 Curtin Degree Show, Department of Art, Curtin University of Technology, Perth
2006 Transience, Lawrence Wilson Gallery, University of Western Australia
2006 Office6000, Next building, Perth
2004 Art in Bloom, Art Gallery of Western Australia
2002 Year 12 Perspectives, Art Gallery of Western Australia
Awards/Grants/Residencies
2019 Arts Projects for Individuals Grant, Australia Council
2019 Finalist, The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
2019 Finalist, Sir John Sulman Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2019 Finalist, Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra Regional Gallery, QLD
2018 Art Incubator Grant Recipient
2018 Finalst, Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Geelong Gallery, VIC
2018 Studio Residency, C.A.P. Studio, Chiang Mai, Thailand
2018 One Year Studio Residency, Waverley Artists Studios, Sydney
2017 One Year Studio Residency, Artspace, Sydney
2015 Finalist, NSW Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging), Sydney
2014 Studio Residency, Parramatta Artists Studios, NSW
2014 Finalist, Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Sydney
2014 Finalist, Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize, Sydney
2014 Finalist, The Substation Contemporary Art Prize, Victoria
2014 ArtStart Grant, Australia Council
2014 National Art School studio residency, British School at Rome, Italy
2013 Artist in Residence, Residencia Corazon, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2012 Postgraduate Residency, Scuola di Grafica Internazionale, Venice, Italy
2008 Artflight Grant, Department of Culture and the Arts
2007 Finalist, Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, Sydney
Teaching Appointments
2019 Casual Lecturer, Painting, National Art School, Sydney
2019 Casual Tutor, Art Processes and Architecture, University of Sydney, School of Architecture
2016-19 Casual Academic, Painting, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney
2016-18 Casual Artist Educator, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
Bibliography
2019 Floorr Magazine, Issue 20: ‘Mason Kimber’: Simek Shropshire
2019 Broadsheet Sydney, 14th March: ‘Creative Couples: Mariam Arcilla and Mason Kimber’: Pilar Mitchell
2019 VAULT Magazine, Issue 25: ‘Artefacts’: Mason Kimber
2018 The Design Files, 19th September: ‘Preserving Relics Of Personal Histories’: Sally Tabart
2018 Ex. Cat, September: ‘Slanted Mansions’: Mariam Arcilla
2017 The Sydney Morning Herald, 17th March: ‘Why you need to see...Mason Kimber': Katie Milton
2016 Art Collector – Auckland Art Fair Special Edition, May: ‘Mason Kimber': Camilla Wagstaff
2016 NEW16 Ex. Cat, April: ‘Painting Ruins – Ruined paintings (Acts of art in the frame of cinema and architecture)': Sam Spurr
2016 The Guardian, 11th March: ‘NEW16 Review – artists’ processes are put under the microscope‘: Toby Fehily
2015 Art Guide Australia, 17th April: ‘Mason Kimber‘: Steve Dow
2015 The Art Life, 6th April: ‘Oltre la Vista‘: Sharne Wolff
2015 Ex. Cat, April: ‘Oltre la Vista’: Nick Tobias
2015 Habitus Living, 30th March: ‘Artist Q+A: Mason Kimber‘
2015 Buro 24/7 Australia, 24th March: ‘When in Rome: Mason Kimber’s Fresco Perspective‘
2014 Art Collector Magazine, Issue 71 Jan-Mar 2015, pp 108-109: ‘Debutantes‘: Kate Britton
2014 Arty Magazine, Issue 34 – Rome: ‘Fresco/Abstraction’
2014 ArtsHub, 20th March: ‘Rome Residency Awarded to NAS Graduate’: Gina Fairley
2014 Ex. Cat, March: ‘Stranger at Home’: David Greenhalgh
2014 The Art Life, 7th February: ‘The InterGalactic Image Factory’: Sharne Wolff
2013 The Sydney Morning Herald, 9-10 November: ‘Screen Memory’ – Open Gallery: Michael Fitzgerald
2013 Broadsheet Sydney, 22nd October: ‘Mason Kimber’s Screen Memory’: Sam Preston,
2013 Ex. Cat, October: ‘Screen Memory’: Dr Ian Grieg
2008 Insite Magazine, Winter Edition:‘Time Traveller’: Fiona Adolph
2008 The West Australian, 27th February:‘Defining Young Careers’: Gail Robinson
Collections
Artbank Australia
Wagga Wagga Art Gallery