Top 100 Artists 2025
Kevin has been named as one of Australia’s Hottest 100 Artists, in this annual list curated by a group of artists, academics, former gallery owners and art collectors. Showcasing artists making a significant impact and receiving critical recognition, he is alongside Reko Rennie, Louise Hearman, Gareth Sansom, and Tracey Moffatt.
No Fantasy Group Exhibition
8 Feb - 15 Mar 2025
This Is No Fantasy, Melbourne
NO FANTASY 2025 ushers in the gallery’s first exhibition of the year. This dynamic group show features new works from established artists from the stable, alongside fresh voices recently welcomed to the gallery, creating a rich tapestry of artistic exploration.
Collie Art Prize WA
2 Mar – 27 Apr 2025
Collie Art Gallery
Held in Western Australia, the $50,000 Collie Art Prize is one of regional Australia’s richest awards. Taking place every two years, the exhibition theme is Identity.
Mystic Meander: Martin Browne Sydney
Opening: Sat 12 Oct, 2-4pm
Exhibition: 10 Oct - 2 Nov 2024
Following a major retrospective exhibition earlier this year, Kevin Chin’s third solo show at Martin Browne Contemporary, ‘Mystic Meander,’ opens 12 October.
These 9 new paintings question if we can transcend worldly borders altogether. Crossing continents, they evoke the sense of a parallel dimension. That magical feeling out in nature that a whole other world could be hiding between the crevices.
Madrid studio residency
Sep 2024
Kevin has been awarded a studio residency at #Ey! Studio in Madrid, Spain.
He will spend September researching parterre gardens and urban green space, towards the next painting series.
Len Fox Award
27 Sep 2024 - 2 Mar 2025
Castlemaine Art Museum Vic
The $50,000 Len Fox Painting Award is a biennial acquisitive painting prize and is awarded to a living Australian artist to commemorate the life and work of Emanuel Phillips Fox.
https://castlemaineartmuseum.org.au/exhibitions/len-fox-award-2024
The Long Way: Town Hall Gallery
Opening: 11 May 2024, 2-4pm
Exhibition: 8 May - 28 July 2024
This solo exhibition is the largest showing of Kevin’s paintings to date, across all 3 spaces at Town Hall Gallery.
It features a curated selection of paintings from recent years that explore themes of journey, transition and sanctuary.
Creative Victoria Profile
Jan 2024
Melbourne-based artist Kevin Chin turns dreams into reality – literally. Specialising in painting dreamscapes – scenes with surreal and dreamlike characteristics, he’s held solo exhibitions around the country and across the globe. His stunning works can also be found in collections including Australian Parliament House, Artbank, and La Trobe Uni Museum of Art.
Full article at https://creative.vic.gov.au/news/2025/creative-profile-kevin-chin
Fisher’s Ghost Award Sydney
Opening Night: Fri 3 Nov 2023
Exhibition: 28 Oct – 8 Dec 2023
Campbelltown Arts Centre
This $50,000 award is across all artforms, with Afield shortlisted this year (detail depicted).
Paddington Prize Sydney
12 - 22 Oct 2023
Cooee Art Leven Gallery
Outstation is a finalist in this $30,000 prize for Australian landscape painting (detail depicted).
Sydney Contemporary
7-10 Sep 2023
Look out for Kevin’s brand new painting at the Martin Browne Contemporary stand (detail depicted).
Creative Boom UK feature
19 Jan 2023
This is the first time an Australian artist has been interviewed for this UK-based publication.
Dom Carter talks in depth to Melbourne-based artist Kevin Chin about his gigantic, "gently disorienting" paintings which express his confusion and concerns about the current state of the world.
Read the full article at www.creativeboom.com/features/kevin-chin/
Within Region
This Is No Fantasy Melbourne
29 Nov - 17 Dec 2022
Opening 2-4pm Sat 3 Dec 2022
In this solo exhibition of new work, Kevin’s ongoing investigation into transcending borders is influenced by the unprecedented sea change and tree change of recent years. Here he explores how divisions between metropolitan, regional and rural Australia have shifted in light of world events.
This project is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, and by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
Artist Talk Gippsland Art Gallery
2-3pm Sat 5 Nov 2022
Hear Kevin discuss the works in his latest exhibition Un-Regional, and gain valuable insight into the ideas that have informed their creation.
Un-Regional, solo exhibition at Gippsland Art Gallery
Opening 6pm Fri 9 Sep 2022
Exhibition runs 3 Sep - 20 Nov 2022
Melbourne-based artist Kevin Chin has rapidly attracted a nation-wide following and for good reason; his brilliant, lavishly-painted large-scale works invite us into a gently surreal world where traditional views on our society and wider cultural environment are called into question. In each work even the ground beneath our feet becomes upended, leaving us with a new appreciation of the world in which we live.
This project is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, and by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.
Parliament House Acquisition
12 Apr 2022
‘Green Spaces’ has been acquired by the Parliament House Art Collection (detail depicted). The national collection’s acquisition program adds just 50 contemporary Australian works each year, positioning newer artists in the same company as the greats of Australia’s art world.
Len Fox Prize - Castlemaine Art Museum
12 Mar -13 Jun 2022
‘Sneaky Guest’ has been shortlisted for the $50,000 Len Fox Prize (detail shown). It is the first painting in Kevin’s new series, which will be shown later this year at the Gippsland Art Gallery.
https://www.castlemaineartmuseum.org.au/exhibitions/len-fox-painting-prize-2022
Local | Remix, Montsalvat Barn Gallery
8 Apr - 29 May 2022
‘Castle Under the Sky’ has been curated into this exhibition by Angela Bailey. The exhibition features paintings from the Nillumbik Collection, and other artists include Elizabeth Gower, John Nixon, and Siri Hayes.
https://www.montsalvat.com.au/whats-on
Grace Cossington Smith Prize - GCS Gallery, Sydney
5 -26 February 2022
‘Another Rung’ has been shortlisted for the Grace Cossington Smith Prize, amidst a strong field that includes Yvette Coppersmith, Amber Boardman, Nadia Hernandez, Belem Lett, Wendy Sharpe, and Alice Wormald.
www.gcsgallery.com.au
Installation view courtesy of Christian Capurro and Town Hall Gallery. Also pictured: work by Mason Kimber.
Shelter in Place extended - Town Hall Gallery, Melbourne
15 Nov - 11 Dec 2021
‘Shelter in Place’ has been extended to 11 Dec 2021, and the gallery will physically re-open to visitors on 15 Nov. This is a major exhibition at Town Hall Gallery examining the relationship between human beings and architecture. Featuring: Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan, Kevin Chin, Mason Kimber, Eugenia Lim, Shannon Lyons, and Polly Stanton.
https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/events/shelter-place
Timeout’s Best Exhibitions of Summer: Never Closer
11 Oct 2021
Never Closer has been listed at number 4, on Timeout Magazine’s ‘Best Art Exhibitions to see in Sydney This Summer.’ Stephen Russell says, ‘You can get lost in the topsy turvy dreamscapes of Melbourne-based artist Kevin Chin. His astounding oil paintings depict beautiful landscapes that are not quite as they should be, with urban sprawl melding into nature running wild. Australian, American and Asian scenes overlap, and are quite often turned upside down and sideways, a bit like in the movie Inception.
His latest show, Never Closer, brings eight of these incredible reality-warping large-scale works to Martin Browne Contemporary in Paddington, from October 14 to November 7. And they are just the feast for sore eyes that art lovers locked up for too long need to drink in at length.’
Read the full article at https://www.timeout.com/sydney/art/the-best-art-this-month
Away House (detail), 2021, oil on linen, 138 x 199 cm
Never Closer Solo Exhibition - Martin Browne, Sydney
14 Oct - 7 Nov 2021
When we’ve all been confined to our homes, unable to travel, how do we know if this is really where we belong? These new paintings carry cultural motifs that question, whether home can be grounded in just a single nation - when so many of us connect on all different levels to other parts of the world.
This project is assisted by the Australian government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
Castle Under the Sky (detail), 2019, oil on linen, 138 x 199 cm
Artist Talk - Town Hall Gallery, Melbourne
Sat 17 Jul, 2.30-3.30 pm
Kevin will be one of the artists giving a floor talk, as part of the group exhibition ‘Shelter in Place’ at Town Hall Gallery.
The talks will pick up on themes explored in the exhibition. Through lived experiences, the evolution of society and the passing of time, private and public spaces such as houses, apartments, workplaces, community buildings and places of worship become repositories of histories and memories. The artists in this exhibition interrogate themes such as materiality and memory, ownership and the ‘Australian Dream’, and dispossession and displacement.
Kevin’s inclusion in this exhibition is assisted by the Australian government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/events/exhibition-tour-shelter-place
Shelter in Place - Town Hall Gallery, Melbourne
10 Jul - 11 Dec 2021
opening event Fri 16 Jul, 5.30-7.30 pm
‘Shelter in Place’ is a major exhibition at Town Hall Gallery examining the relationship between human beings and architecture. This group exhibition focuses on the ways in which our built environment is used to foster ideas of home, shelter and belonging.
Featuring: Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizan, Kevin Chin, Mason Kimber, Eugenia Lim, Shannon Lyons, and Polly Stanton.
Kevin’s inclusion in this exhibition is assisted by the Australian government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
https://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/events/shelter-place
Winter Group Exhibition - Martin Browne, Sydney
27 May - 20 Jun 2021
‘Veils’ is included in this group exhibition, which also includes paintings by Helen Johnson, Sally Ross, and Tim McMonagle.
https://www.martinbrownecontemporary.com/winter21.html
Re-gathering - Benalla Art Gallery VIC
18 Dec 2020 - 20 Jun 2021
Featuring works from both the Benalla Art Gallery Collection and RACV Art Collection, Re-gathering provides a framework through which the community can explore its individual and collective experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The works selected are re-contextualised through the inclusion of the local community’s voice, their first-hand thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
‘Run Deeper’ is included in this exhibition, originally shown at Art Stage Singapore in 2014.
benallaartgallery.com.au/re-gathering/
Summer Group Exhibition - Martin Browne, Sydney
7 - 31 Jan 2021
‘Tub Time’ is currently hanging as part of the summer group exhibition, alongside Martin Browne’s stable of artists.
www.martinbrownecontemporary.com/summer20.html
Install view of the John Leslie Prize 2020, courtesy of Gippsland Art Gallery
Gippsland Art Gallery Podcast
10 Nov 2020
Hit the Play button above to hear Kevin’s 15-minute interview with Gippsland Art Gallery Curator, Erin Mathews. He discusses the themes in his John Leslie Prize entry, Another Rung, including issues of structural inequality and environmental impact. Kevin also opens up about his painting processes and the challenges of being a person of colour working in the arts in Australia. The full podcast episode on Soundcloud also includes interviews with fellow prize finalists Paul Miller and David Beaumont.
https://www.gippslandartgallery.com/exhibition/john-leslie-art-prize-2020/
Social Distance - Video Artist Talks on Instagram
7 Jul - 1 Aug 2020
Follow @itskevinchin for a series of short artist talks about the new paintings in Social Distance, showing at This Is No Fantasy 7 July - 1 August. A new video will be posted each week to coincide with the exhibition dates. These videos are supported by City of Yarra.
instagram.com/itskevinchin
Social Distance - Solo Exhibition, This Is No Fantasy, Melb
7 Jul - 1 Aug 2020
Kevin’s newest solo exhibition will open at This is No Fantasy in Melbourne on 7 July. When he started this series, he was originally thinking about the claims that we’re all globally interconnected, yet reports show growing feelings of isolation in our increasingly urban lives. As the work developed, the introduction of social distancing measures brought new significance. These new paintings are about finding a sense of solace in a globalised world, and aim to capture the mixed feelings of this time.
This project is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, and also supported by City of Yarra.
thisisnofantasy.com
John Leslie Prize, Gippsland Art Gallery VIC
18 Jul - 25 Oct 2020
Kevin is a finalist in the biennial $20,000 John Leslie Prize for the third time. ‘Another Rung’ considers Australia’s changing landscape, amidst the drive for economic growth within the Asia Pacific, migrant labour, natural resource depletion, and urbanisation.
www.gippslandartgallery.com
Photo: Zan Wimberley, courtesy of Art Collector
Art Collector - 50 Things Issue
Jan - Mar 2020
Art Collector's 50 things Collectors Should Know issue has just hit stands across Australia and New Zealand. In this highly anticipated annual list, we look back at the year that was, and forward to the artists, curators and collectors set to shape the art world in the year ahead. Kevin Chin is featured in the ‘Collectors Love’ section for his sell-out show at Martin Browne Contemporary in 2019. Article by Jo Higgins, portrait by Zan Wimberley.
artcollector.net.au
R & M McGivern Prize, Maroondah Federation Gallery
23 Nov 2019 - 2 Feb 2020
In keeping with this year’s theme of Anthropocene, ‘Jungle’ reflects on how urban sprawl affects our relationship with the lands we inhabit. Shown for the first time at this prize exhibition, this painting considers how contemporary global flows impact both the Australasian physical and, in turn, cultural environment.
mcgivernartprize.com
Paddington Prize, Menzies Art Brands Sydney
Opening Thu 17 oct 2019
The judges for this year’s $30,000 Paddington Prize are Denise Mimochi, Senior Curator of Australian Art at AGNSW, Oliver Watts, Head Curator at Artbank, and Margaret Ellis, Governor at AGNSW.
paddingtonartprize.com.au
Sydney Contemporary
12 - 15 Sep 2019
At Australia’s international art fair, Kevin Chin will be part of a group exhibition with Martin Browne Contemporary.
sydneycontemporary.com.au
King’s Art Prize, Sydney
Opening Fri 13 Sep 2019
This is Chin’s first time as a finalist in the $20,000 award, by invitation only, now in its 24th year. The 24 finalists this year also include Tim Johnson and eventual winner, McLean Edwards.
www.kingsfest.com.au
Discussion Panel, ACCA Melbourne
6pm, Wed 17 Jul 2019
On Being an Artist – Putting Yourself Out There: Join us for a panel discussion about self-doubt, imposter syndrome and the complexities around making your personal public with artists Charlie Sofo, Kevin Chin, Jessie Scott, and moderators Nicole Breedon and Kiera Brew Kurec.
Sustaining an artistic practice has always involved navigating the inevitable pitfalls of self-doubt, failure and rejection; and this is often against a backdrop of increasingly professionalised and institutionalised expectations for artistic practice. This panel will discuss revealing vulnerabilities when personal stories enter the public realm; the complex nature of artists putting themselves and their work on display; and the phenomenon of imposter syndrome; in an attempt to address how artists can maintain artistic integrity and sustain creative practice in the face of these vulnerabilities.
https://acca.melbourne/program/on-being-an-artist
Structural Equality, Solo Exhibition, Martin Browne Sydney
2 - 26 May 2019
In this new series, built structures meld into those from the natural environment, to test how economic, cultural and social structures shape the world in which we live. Each painting is carefully assembled so that the logic of these structures is matched, such as the tiers of scaffolding and waterfalls, or the peaks of shelters and mountains. These paintings explore who has built what, who takes ownership, and who has the right to the land. Atmospheric in scale, they assume the perspective of the historically marginalised, to revise grand narratives in contemporary painting.
www.martinbrownecontemporary.com
Podcast Interviews: Pro Prac and Wombat Radio
Apr 2019
In the lead up to his solo exhibition, Structural Equality, Kevin Chin is being interviewed for two podcasts. Pro Prac is a skill-sharing platform exploring the hidden lives of artists, and Wombat Radio investigates how creative development processes address pressing issues in contemporary art. In each hour-long episode, Chin discusses the challenges of coming from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, advocating for diversity, and how structural inequalities are being addressed in his new painting series. Listen to both interviews on the Press page.
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/pro-prac/id1460056204
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wombat-radio/id841766749
Artist Talk, Vancouver Arts Centre, Albany WA
2 Jan 2019
Kevin Chin opens the Vancouver Arts Centre program for the new year with an artist talk. He provides insight into the development of his painting which won the Albany Art Prize, ‘Sheltered,’ and gives a preview of his upcoming exhibition, Structural Equality, discussing the themes of structural inequality explored in this new series. Click on the image above to listen to an excerpt.
Studio residency, Vancouver Arts Centre, Albany WA
Dec 2018 - Jan 2019
Kevin Chin is spending December as artist-in-residence at the Vancouver Arts Centre, in Albany Western Australia. The residency forms part of the Albany Art Prize won earlier this year.
John Leslie Art Prize - Gippsland Art Gallery VIC
Opening Fri 21 Sep, 6-8pm - Exhibition 22 Sep - 25 Nov 2018
Kevin Chin is a second-time finalist in the $20,000 John Leslie Prize, with his new painting, Peaks (detail shown). 59 finalists have been selected from 497 entries, to celebrate the best of Australian landscape painting.
Sydney Contemporary
13 - 16 Sep 2018
At his first showing at the Sydney Contemporary art fair, with Martin Browne Contemporary, Chin will debut the first painting of his new series (detail shown). To be shown in full in May 2019, this series investigates the intersection between urban and natural structures, and what this in turn reveals about social and political structures.
Fantasy - Group Exhibition, Martin Browne Sydney
28 Jun - 22 Jul 2018
This group exhibition features represented artists in the stable of Martin Browne Contemporary. Other artists include Tim McMonagle, Monika Behrens and Ildiko Kovacs.
www.martinbrownecontemporary.com
Auckland Art Fair, New Zealand
23 - 27 May 2018
Kevin Chin is showing for the first time in New Zealand, as part of a group exhibition with Martin Browne Contemporary. Other artists include Tim Maguire, Fiona Lowry and Michael Muir. The Auckland Art Fair will showcase galleries from around the world, including New York, Tokyo and Santiago.
artfair.co.nz
Kevin Chin Wins $25,000 Albany Art Prize WA
30 Mar- 6 May 2018
Kevin Chin is the winner of the $25,000 Albany Art Prize, selected from 30 finalists and over 300 entries. His painting, Sheltered, restages references to the global migrant crisis, such as children standing in queues, and the haphazard temporary shelter structures associated with refugee camps. Piecing together such potent symbols, he translates them through his own personal migrant experience, bringing them into the context of the Australasia region. The tumultuous paintwork speaks to a sense of being in between places, and the troubled conditions of this sociopolitical situation.
albanyartprize.com.au
1717 - Group Exhibition, Galerie Pompom Sydney
22 Nov - 17 Dec 2017
Curated by George Adams to survey innovations in contemporary painting, the 17 artists include Kevin Chin, Will Cooke, Fernando do Campo, Stefan Dunlop, Neil Haddon, Irene Hanenburgh, Brent Harris, Matthew Harris, Daniel Hollier, Belem Lett, Ollie Lucas, Tara Marynowsky, Nuha Saad, Kate Tucker, Megan Walch, Tricky Walsh, and Ian Williams.
galeriepompom.com
Artist Talk, Teton Artlab USA
28 Sep 2017, 6-8pm
On residency at Teton Artlab, Kevin Chin will present an open studio of work in development, and give an artist talk elaborating on his creative processes. He will discuss his US research into the recent changes in the Trump administration, delineating who does and doesn't belong, comparing this to recent immigration and refugee issues in Australia.
tetonartlab.com
Kevin Chin awarded Australia Council Grant
24 Jul 2017
Kevin Chin has been awarded a much sought after Career Development Grant by the Australia Council, to support an upcoming residency at Teton Artlab, USA. This residency program has supported many high-profile American and international artists, including Chuck Close and Alex Katz.
Refuge - Solo Exhibition, This Is No Fantasy Melbourne
1 Jul - 22 Jul 2017
Kevin Chin’s new paintings are made in the context of the global migrant crisis, the resurgence of political parties like One Nation and Reclaim Australia, the US election of Trump, and continuing debate around nationalism, belonging and alienation. He takes potent iconography - such as temporary shelter structures, children in queues, and long distance crossings – and restages them through his own lived experience. In this way, he creates new images that bridge our shared experience, exploring universal themes of journey, transition, and sanctuary.
thisisnofantasy.com
9x5 NOW - Margaret Lawrence Gallery Melbourne
16 Jun - 24 Jun 2017
Curated by Elizabeth Gower, this large-scale group exhibition features celebrated alumni from the VCA, in honour of the art school's 150 year anniversary. 350 artists were invited to make a 9x5" work on board, including Patricia Piccinini, Nicholas Mangan, Louise Hearman, and David Rosetzky.
art150.unimelb.edu.au
Kevin Chin, Pilgrimage, 2017, oil on linen, 132 x 198 cm
Forum, Contemporary Art in the Age of Globalisation
18 mar 2017, 3.15-4.30, bundoora homestead art centre, Melbourne
As part of the group exhibition Closing the Distance, Kevin Chin will be one of four guest speakers on this discussion panel. Topics will include how globalisation has affected cultural discourse, and how shifts in cultural boundaries are directing artistic approaches. The panel will be chaired by Dr Kristen Sharp (Senior lecturer in Art History and Theory at RMIT University), and panelists also include Rachel Marsden (Lecturer in Art Curatorship at The University of Melbourne), and Nikki Lam (Curator and Visual Arts Editor of Peril magazine).
www.bundoorahomestead.com
USA Residency, Teton ArtLab
15 Feb 2017
Kevin Chin has been awarded a globally competitive artist residency at Teton Artlab, USA. At the base of Yellowstone National Park, the residency is surrounded by geothermal activity and unique land formations. The residency will allow Chin to spend a whole month sourcing otherworldy landscapes and peculiarly American shelter structures to incorporate into paintings.
www.tetonartlab.com
Closing the Distance - Bundoora Homestead Melbourne
11 Feb - 30 Apr 2017
Curated by Sophia Cai, this group exhibition brings together twelve Australian and international artists to explore contemporary issues of migration, place and the Chinese diaspora. In the catalogue essay by 4A Director Mikala Tai, she writes, "With the delineation of borders and the constructs of us-them, majority-minority and centre-periphery proving to be political tools of division, Cai has gathered a suite of artists that refuse the constraints of such binaries... They carve out futures informed by cultural connections and are buoyed by the experience of globalism." Artists also include Pei Pei He, Pia Johnson, Lindy Lee, Owen Leong, Eugenia Lim, Chun-yu Liu, Jason Phu, Cyrus Tang, Guan Wei, Shen Wei and Louise Zhang.
www.bundoorahomestead.com
How does your Garden Grow - Goulburn Art Gallery NSW
3 Feb - 18 Mar 2017
In the exhibition foreword, curator Angela D'Elia writes, "For many of the exhibiting artists, gardens hold a special place, recollect a special memory or are an integral part of their lives. For others, there are concerns about the environment and sustainability, but they were all influenced in their practice in some way by the cycle of life in our gardens." This cross-form group exhibition also includes Judith Bradhurst, Anna Culliton, Nicola Dickson, Dimity Kidston, Emilie Patterson, Joan Ross, Barbara Ryman, Erica Seccombe, Bic Tieu, Emma van Leest, Paul White, Kayo Yokoyama and Carolyn Young.
www.grag.com.au
John Leslie Art Prize - Gippsland Art Gallery VIC
3 Sep - 20 Nov 2016
The $20,000 biennial award run by the Gippsland Art Gallery showcases the best of contemporary landscape painting.
Kevin Chin's entry, 'Crossing,' is a personal reflection on the world refugee crisis, and the experience of crossing borders and being in between places. It is a compassionate response to the ongoing Australian debate around 'illegal' boat arrivals.
http://www.wellington.vic.gov.au/Enjoying-Wellington/Gippsland-Art-Gallery/John-Leslie-Art-Prize
Art for Social Change Award - Incinerator Gallery Melbourne
14 Oct - 3 Dec 2016
The exhibition of finalists includes all visual art forms, and demonstrates a belief that cultural and creative expression can be used as a means to affect deep and lasting social change.
Kevin Chin's entry, ‘Veils,’ is made in the current Australian context of anti-Islamic protests from groups such as Reclaim Australia, and questions media imagery of head coverings that vilify otherness. The action of veiling is used as a painting motif to discuss issues around belonging and intercultural misunderstanding.
http://mvcc.vic.gov.au/experience-moonee-valley/arts-and-culture/incinerator-gallery/incinerator-art-award-2016.aspx
Redland Art Award - Redland Gallery Brisbane
16 Oct - 27 Nov 2016
Kevin Chin is a second-time finalist in the biennial $15,000 Redland Award in Queensland, celebrating the 30th year of the award. He was awarded second prize in the last round of the award in 2014.
www.redlandartawards.org.au
Factivism - Counihan Gallery Melbourne
11 Nov - 10 Dec 2016
This group exhibition across artforms explores the junction between facts and activism. Kevin Chin's painting, 'It's a Sign,' plays on the saturation of coded information from which we make decisions about our direction in life and political standpoints.
http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/events-recreation/arts-and-gallery/counihan-gallery-in-brunswick/
Len Fox Painting Award - Castlemaine Art Museum VIC
9 Oct - 31 Dec 2016
With his evocative painting 'Ripple Effect,' Kevin Chin is a finalist in the $50,000 Len Fox Award, held at the Castlemaine Art Museum biennially to celebrate the memory of the influential Australian painter, Emanuel Phillips Fox. Judged by Dr Rex Butler, the 43 finalists also include John Nixon, Abdul Abdullah and eventual winner, Prudence Flint.
http://www.castlemainegallery.com
Imagined Worlds - Town Hall Gallery Melbourne
25 June - 21 Aug 2016
Blurring the boundary between real and imagined these artworks challenge traditional representations of landscape and allow the viewer to imagine life in a new world. Curated by Kent Wilson, artists include: Andrew Mezei, Tony Lloyd, Connor Grogan, Christie Torrington, Alice Wormald, Kate Shaw, Ara Dolatian, Ben Taranto and Kevin Chin.
http://www.townhallgallery.com.au/
Worlds Aside - Solo Exhibition, This Is No Fantasy Melbourne
5 - 28 May 2016
Inspired by Magic Realist literature, Kevin Chin's new series of large-scale oil paintings re-envision the world from the perspective of the cultural ‘other.’ Drawing from migrant and travel experiences, Chin’s colourful assemblages create impossible places we may long to be.
thisisnofantasy.com
Sanctuary - Glen Eira Gallery Melbourne
3 Mar - 10 Apr 2016
Curated by Diane Soumilas, this exhibition addresses the notion of the garden as a sanctuary or site for reflection, contemplation and healing in contemporary culture. Artists include: Natasha Bieniek, Jane Burton, Kevin Chin, Siri Hayes, Ponch Hawkes, Christopher Koller, and Janet Laurence.
http://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/Places-and-events/Arts-and-Culture/Galleries-and-Visual-Art/Exhibitions
Worlds Away - Solo Exhibition, Bayside Arts Centre Melbourne
27 Feb - 24 Apr 2016
View the catalogue essay by Claire Anna Watson
Julie Skate curates a sprawling solo exhibition of new work by Kevin Chin, to be opened by Dr Vincent Alessi. In the catalogue essay by Claire Anna Watson, she writes, "Things are not quite as they seem in the world of Kevin Chin. He marries the banal with the fantastical. His is a mystical and transcendental discourse where inner states of tranquillity and equanimity are cultivated across all life forms including inanimate objects. It is a realm where dream states rule, a place we can only ponder if it’s truly worlds away."
www.bayside.vic.gov.au/gallery-bacc-past-exhibitions-2016
Fisher's Ghost Award - Campbelltown Arts Centre Sydney
31 Oct - 12 Dec 2015
Kevin Chin is a second-time finalist in this year's Fishers Ghost Art Award (Open Section). Held over 10 days the Festival dates back to 1956. The Open section of the Award, worth $20,000, includes all art forms.
http://c-a-c.com.au/
Whyalla Art Prize - Middleback Arts Centre SA
26 Sep - 14 Nov 2015
Kevin Chin's painting, 'Via Swan,' is a finalist in the biennial $25,000 Whyalla Art Prize.
www.countryarts.org.au/programs/visual-arts/whyalla-art-prize/
Romance Died Romantically - Strange Neighbour Melbourne
25 Sep - 10 Oct 2015
The more marginalised and awkward romance seems to become, the more it locates the perfect place to hover. The 11 artists in this group exhibition also include Irene Hanenbergh, Grant Nimmo, and Cybele Cox. Curator Amy Marjoram says of Kevin Chin's painting, 'Out to Dry,' "The fractured image suggests the moment of touristic transport, the romanticized ‘escapist fantasy’. The tourist attraction, like the romantic narrative, needs to be exotic enough to appear exciting whilst accommodating familiar expectations. We all visit the same ‘undiscovered’ places."
http://strangeneighbour.com/
Albany Art Prize - Vancouver Arts Centre WA
5 Sep - 11 Oct 2015
The $25,000 prize was won this year by Richard Lewer, with other finalists also including Stephen Haley and Alice Wormald.
www.albanyartprize.com.au
Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize - Bendigo Art Gallery VIC
29 Aug - 1 Nov 2015
Kevin Chin's painting, 'No Rest,' is a finalist in the $50,000 biennial prize showcasing the best of Australian contemporary painting. Other finalists include Shaun Gladwell, Jenny Watson, and eventual winner, Guan Wei.
http://www.bendigoartgallery.com.au/Prizes_Scholarships /Arthur_Guy_Memorial_Painting_Prize
Craft Cubed Festival - Mailbox Melbourne
6 - 29 Aug 2015
Freak of Nature brings together various artists working with plants, nature and the uncanny. Using a variety of mediums ranging from painting to collage and sculpture, each artist explores and transforms the natural world into surreal fantasy. Curated by Danielle Hakim, featuring works by: Kevin Chin, Ara Dolatian, Claire Gallagher, Georgina Glanville, Mark Rodda, and Paul Williams.
http://craftcubed.org.au/2015/events/freak-of-nature/
Keith and Elisabeth Murdoch Award - Margaret Lawrence Gallery Melbourne
1- 15 Aug 2015
Across artforms, the biennial $25,000 Keith & Elisabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship enables VCA School of Art graduates to travel abroad and enjoy a measure of financial support during the early years of their professional careers. Kevin Chin is amongst this year's finalists amidst a strong field including Simon Finn, Melanie Irwin, and Hannah Raisin.
Kevin Chin Awarded Australia Council ArtStart Grant
Jul 2015
Kevin Chin has been awarded a highly sought-after Australia Council ArtStart Grant. As part of his year-long project, Kevin will undertake a mentorship with the renowned Stephen Bush.
Nillumbik Prize - Montsalvat Melbourne
4 Jun - 2 Aug 2015
With his multi-panel work, 'Pass By,' Kevin Chin is a finalist in the Nillumbik Prize, celebrating artists with a connection to the Nillumbik region. This year's judges include Melinda Martin, Director of Linden New Art, and Michael Brennan, Senior Curator of La Trobe University Museum of Art.
Kevin Chin wins $15,000 Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize
8 May - 14 Jun 2015
Kevin Chin's diptych, 'Less Than White,' wins the inaugural Bayside Prize, amidst a competitive field of 33 high-profile artists including Jon Cattapan, Rob McHaffie, and Stieg Persson. One of the three judges, former NGV Deputy Director, Frances Lindsay, said of Kevin Chin's winning work, “The poetic beauty of the natural world is disrupted by dream-like intrusions of strange objects and figures. This frisson between the real and the imagined, endows the work with both a meditative calm and a sense of disquiet.”
http://www.art-almanac.com.au/2015/05/bayside-announces-inaugural-acquisitive-art-prize-winner/
Stillness Between Us - Solo Exhibition, Dianne Tanzer Gallery Melbourne
25 Mar - 5 May 2015
In his review in The Age, Dan Rule describes Kevin Chin's new work as, "at once contiguous and gently disorientating. Chin merges minute details and softer, hazy tones, creating a contemplative, dreamy atmosphere." Chin's ambitious new solo exhibition is also featured in the Apr-Jun issue of Art Collector.
http://thisisnofantasy.com/