Morgan Stokes

Morgan Stokes’ artistic practice delves into the mediums of painting and sculpture, deconstructing them to their fundamental elements. Beginning with the traditional building blocks of each; pigment, cloth, stretcher bars, stone, he embarks upon a process of reinterpretation, interrogating the supposed value of each part and its role within the widely understood formula of what makes an artwork. By creating formal studies into material, Stokes’ works explore what he calls the ‘virtual gaze’, that is, how our mode of perception is shifting as our lives are increasingly mediated by the screen. Both literal and philosophical, Stokes’ most recent body of work Skeleton offers a dialogue between body and material; a contemplation on what makes a painting in the digital age. Recalling the movements of Arte Povera, Mono-Ha and Material Realism and considered from a post-internet lens, Skeleton transcends the canvas, acting as a meditation on creation and art, the seen and the unseen.

Morgan Stokes (b. 1990) lives and works in Sydney, Australia (Gadigal land). He holds a Master of Design from UNSW and has recently completed residencies in Berlin and Denmark. Morgan has been a finalist in several esteemed art prizes including the Mosman Art Prize, 2022 + 2024, Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, 2023, Omnia Art Prize and Exhibition, 2023 + 2024, and the Darling Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery, 2024. Morgan has exhibited within Australia and internationally and is represented in Europe by Richeldis Fine Art. His works can be found in private collections across Australia, the USA, Germany and around the world. Skeleton is Stokes’ fourth exhibition with the gallery, following Skin (2023), Virtual Gaze (2022) and Concerning Existence (2021), including a presentation of work with Curatorial+Co. at Sydney Contemporary in 2022.