Grey sea and showboat, 1998 | Ken Done

To celebrate our inaugural 1 Denison x Bluethumb Art Prize Winners exhibition, we have partnered with iconic Australian artist, Ken Done, to host a charity auction.

As a judge of the Bluethumb Art Prize 2020 and a patron of UNICEF, Ken Done donated this piece as an auction item for the closing event at our Bluethumb Art Prize Winners exhibition at 1 Denison in Sydney.

However, due to the current COVID situation in Sydney, our charity auction closing event will no longer proceed. The good news is that we're now auctioning this classic, collectable piece via a silent auction.

This is a unique opportunity to acquire an iconic Ken Done masterpiece through a tax deductible charity donation. Since his first exhibition in 1980, Ken Done has become one of Australia's most famous artists. His work has been described as the most original style to come out of Australia, and his paintings are in important collections throughout the world.

This joyful work captures one of the subjects that he is best known for, his beloved Sydney Harbour. However, we are given a different perspective than the one that we are most familiar with, as Ken takes the opportunity to engage in a playful game with the Opera House and its instantly recognisable sails. Featuring Ken's evocative brushstrokes and bold use of colour, this is a classic work from the late 1990s.

The winning bidder will donate directly to UNICEF (as a tax-deductible donation) and take home the beautifully framed 1030mm x 775mm acrylic and oil crayon masterpiece. To bid, simply hit the "enquire now" button and send us your best offer by 5pm AEST on the 8th of July. This is a silent auction so you only have one chance to bid. Best of luck!

Value: $10,000+

This artwork is currently part of our major exhibition at 1 Denison in Sydney so will be shipped in early August.

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Since his first solo exhibition in 1980, Ken Done has become one of Australia’s most famous artists. His work has been described as the most original style to come out of Australia, and his paintings are in collections throughout the world.

Born 29 June, 1940, in Sydney, Ken left school at 14 to enter the National Art School in East Sydney. After 5 years study, he commenced a highly successful career as an art director and designer in New York, London and Sydney.

At the age of 40, after painting for many years, he gave up his advertising career to become a painter full-time. Since then, he has held over 100 one-man shows, including major exhibitions in Australia, Europe, Japan and the USA. His works have been shown in the Archibald, Sulman, Wynne, Blake, and Dobell Prizes.

In 1991, a major touring exhibition in Japan attracted over 200,000 visitors. The artist's first European exhibition was held in Paris in 1996, to great acclaim, and in 2000 the art of Ken Done was successfully premiered in both Los Angeles and London.

Major projects in a very diverse career include the painting of a BMW Artcar, and the total decorative scheme for the Garden Restaurant at the Powerhouse Museum, in Sydney. In 1994, a major retrospective of Ken Done's work "Ken Done: the art of design" was mounted by the Powerhouse Museum. In 2002 the Museum acquired his commercial art and design archive of more than 300 items.

In 1988, Hanako, a Tokyo fashion and lifestyle magazine, was launched, and featured a Ken Done painting on the cover every week for over 15 years. In 1999, Done was asked to create a series of works for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies programs of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Ken's paintings became the creative source of a unique, and highly successful Australian business which continues to promote Australian art and design to a world-wide audience.

In 1993, Ken, together with his wife Judy, won the Fashion Industries of Australia's Grand Award for Fashion.

Although he has worked extensively for many charitable organisations, the welfare of underprivileged children has always been a special concern of Ken's. Father of the Year in 1989, Ken Done has been a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 1988.

Ken received the Order of Australia (A.M.), for services to Art, Design and Tourism in 1992. In many parts of the world, Ken Done has come to symbolise Australia and Australians: creative, optimistic and bold.