Artist Statement

My practice is rooted in the preservation and exploration of memory, history, and place. Through a combination of painting, collage, and found objects, I create works that reflect on the passage of time, the stories we inherit, and the landscapes - both physical and emotional - that shape our understanding of the world. My paintings, often cinematic in scope, are influenced by early colonial coastal cartographic surveys, where I reference and reimagine the mapping of both familiar and unknown territories.

Drawing inspiration from travel, urban environments, and the rich dialogues that emerge through conversation, my work acts as both a reflection and a repository of personal and collective histories. I incorporate old texts, archival materials, and elements from earlier works in the series, creating layers that embody the fluid and fragmented nature of memory. These layered compositions mirror the complex ways in which history is reinterpreted, and how memories—whether individual or shared—are woven together over time.

The objects and symbols in my work hold meaning beyond their visual presence, offering hidden references to places and moments that evoke a sense of nostalgia, discovery, and connection. Through my practice, I aim to convey how the physical and cultural landscapes we inhabit are intertwined with the stories we tell and the memories we preserve.

Australian Landscape, A Recipe for Living

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Artist Bio

Robert Lee Davis explores memory, history, and place through layered paintings and collages, blending found materials like old texts and maps with cinematic visions of landscapes, inspired by cartography and conversation to reflect fragmented histories and personal journeys, often featuring self-discovery and the human-nature connection.

His work weaves together symbols and references that evoke a sense of nostalgia, discovery, and connection. Through these layers, Robert aims to capture how our physical and cultural landscapes shape our stories and the memories we preserve. Robert has exhibited in both solo and group exhibitions internationally and throughout Australia. Robert has been shortlisted for the Omnia Art Prize, the Glover Art Prize, and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

Robert lives and works in Naarm/Melbourne where he maintains a studio practice and is actively engaged with the local arts community.

Education

Current Victorian Institute Teaching Certification
1994 - 1995 University of Colorado at Denver Masters in Early Childhood Education
1993 - 1994 Stanley British Primary School Internship Colorado Alternative Teachers CertificateK-8
1984 - 1986 Eastern College, St David’s PA Bachelor of Studio Art
1981 - 1983 Art Institute of Philadelphia Associate of Commercial Art

Solo Exhibitions

2025 Landscape Memory, Melbourne, VIC
2018 Urban Dreaming, Melbourne, AU
2024 Glover Prize Finalist, Launceston, TAZ
2017 Farewell, London, UK
2014 Then, Now and Everything in Between, Shanghai, China
2011 Different Species, Shanghai, China
2010 We Know Where We Want To Go, Bu Wen Bu Wen, Shanghai, China

Group Exhibitions

2025 SMALL, fortyfivedownstairs Gallery, Melbourne, AUD
2025 Storehouse Gallery Winter Group Exhibition, St Kilda, AUD
2024 The Next Chapter Exhibition, St Kilda, AUD
2023 The Community Art Card Project, Melbourne, AUD
2023 Renewal, Port Melbourne, AUD
2019 Adaptation, Port Melbourne, AUD
2019 Marvellous Melbourne, Melbourne, AUD
2018 Urban Dreaming, Melbourne, AUD
2018 Art Rooms Art Fair 2018, Rome, Italy
2018 Marvellous Melbourne, Melbourne AUD
2018 Inhabitants, Port Melbourne, AUD
2017 artWEEK Exhibition, London, UK
2017 The Other Art Fair, London, UK
2017 45 at 45, Melbourne, AUD
2017 At Rooms Art Fair 2017, London, UK

Artist Residencies

2024 – Present - Studio Hall, South Melbourne, AUD
2017 Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park, AUD
2019 St Patrick’s College, Ballarat, AUD
2019 Geelong Grammar School, AUD
2017 Virgin Money Lounge, London, UK
2015 Melbourne Grammar School, Melbourne, AUD
2014 - 2015 The Maritime Porthole Gallery, Melbourne, AUD
2011 - 2014 HUB Melbourne, Melbourne, AUD
2013 Flemington Primary School, Flemington, AUD

Awards and Prizes

2025 The Sorrento Art Prize Finalist, Sorrento, VIC
2025 The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Shortlisted London, UK
2024 Glover Prize Finalist, Launceston, TAZ
2023 Omnia Art Prize Finalist, Melbourne, AUD
2023 Collie Art Prize Finalist, Perth, AUD
2020 City of Melbourne Covid-19 Arts Grant, Melbourne, AUD
2019 Albert Park College Judges Choice Award, Port Melbourne, AUD
2019 The Flanagan Artist in Resident Prize, Ballarat, AUD
2017 Landscape Artist of the Year, London, UK
2016 The Other Art Fair, London, UK
2016 Art Below Art Fair Award, London, UK
2016 BSG Small Works Top Ten Finalist, Brunswick, AUD
2015 Art Below Exhibition Selectee, London, UK
2014 Maritime Art Awards & Exhibition Finalist, Melbourne, AUD
2013 Clifton’s Art Prize Finalist, Melbourne, AUD
2012 Clifton’s Art Prize People's Choice Award, Melbourne, AUD
2012 Corangamarah Art Prize Finalist, Colac, AUD
2012 Gold Coast Art Prize Finalist, Gold coast, AUD