Master printmaker, draftsman and painter Martin King was born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1957. Martin graduated with a diploma in Fine Art and Design from Caulfield Institute of Technology, Melbourne in 1978 and then again with a post-graduate Diploma in Fine Art from Sydney College of the Arts in 1982. In 2002, Martin graduated from Monash University with a Master of Fine Arts.
Martin King has been awarded numerous Artist Residencies both in Australia and Internationally. In 1983, he was awarded the Artist in Residence program with the M. Karolyi Foundation in Vence, France, from which he decided to live and work in France, Spain and London from 1984. In 2006 was awarded the artist in residence with the Australis Expedition in South Georgia and Sub-Antarctica. Again in 2015 King was awarded an artist in residence program with Amazigh Artist Tour in Morocco.
In 1996, King was invited to work with Aboriginal artists on printmaking projects in Jilamara, Melville Island in the NT. Again, in 2000, he worked with Aboriginal communities in Millijidee, WA.
From 1990 onwards King has frequently lectured in Printmaking at the Victorian College of the Arts. From 1994 to 2017, Martin was the senior Printmaker at the Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne.
Martin King has had over 50 solo exhibitions throughout Australia and has featured in numerous group exhibitions both in Australia and internationally. Martin’s work also features in many prominent collections including the British Museum, Carleton College Library, Minnesota, USA, Bahrat Bhavan India, Bihar Museum, India, M. Karolyi Foundation, France, the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery Victoria, Art Gallery NSW, State Library of Victoria, and the Parliament House Collection, Canberra.
Martin King won the 2023 WAMA Art Prize with his work tree of life, journey of lost souls in twenty volumes No.2. In 2022 Martin won the National Print and Drawing Prize, Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery and he also won the Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award 2022. In 2019 King was awarded both the Muswellbrook Drawing Prize and the Gallipoli Art Prize.
From 1994-2023 Martin worked as a Senior Printmaker at the Australian Print Workshop in Melbourne.
Martin currently lives and works in Melbourne.
By Peter M Lamont A documentary on Australian artist Martin King
Video completed August 6, 2020 - A film by Ivan Hexter, (With Direction) and Martin King discussing his studio practice.
Full DVD running time 5 minutes
Martin King is an artist, printmaker, drawer and painter. We join him in his studio where he explains his work and his thoughts.
2023
diary of lost souls King Street Gallery on William, Sydney
Ledger of the lost, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2022
False Ornithologies and Unnatural Histories Delmar Gallery, Sydney
2021
Strangerlands Australian Galleries, Melbourne
2020
Bookworks Artspace at Realm, Ringwood, VIC.
2019
unnatural history, King Street Gallery on William
Thinking about Unnatural History Australian Galleries
2018
recess Gallerysmith, Melbourne
2017
hoodwinks and lyres King Street Gallery on William
From the collection Martin King, Maroondah Federation Estate
Gallery, Ringwood
Naturophilia Lab 14, Melbourne University.
2016
blind faith Gallerysmith, Melbourne
2015
forest of dreams Gallerysmith, Melbourne
dawn survey #3 King Street Gallery on William, Sydney.
2014
dawn Survey #2 Port Jackson Press, Melbourne.
2013
on the wing King Street Gallery on William, Sydney
dawn survey project Project Space, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2012
melencolia James Makin Gallery, Melbourne Art Fair,
Exhibition buildings, Melbourne
melencolia James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
a little melencolia Gecko Gallery, Fish Creek, Victoria
2011
secret life of birds King Street Gallery on William, Sydney.
recent work Art Vault, Mildura
2010
inferior mirage James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
slowly disappearing darling New England Regional Art Gallery, NSW
burnt creek offering Art Vault, Mildura, Victoria
2009
overflow King Street Gallery On William, Sydney
2008
slowly disappearing darling’Port Jackson Press, Melbourne
Masters Impressions Roopankar, Museum of Fine Arts, Bhopal India
2007
slowly disappearing darling Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery
South Georgia Island Sub Antarctica, James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
South Georgia Island Sub Antarctica King St Gallery on Burton, Sydney
2005
Plain Song Port Jackson Press, Melbourne
Recent work, prints and paintings King St Gallery on Burton, Sydney
2004
Works on Canvas and Paper Maroondah Art Gallery, Melbourne
2003
First Rain Span Galleries, Melbourne
First Rain King Street Gallery on Burton, Sydney
First Rain: Works on Paper Port Jackson Press, Melbourne
2002
Recent Work Lake Gallery, Paynesville.
Recent Work King Street Gallery on Burton, Sydney
Going Over Old Ground Mass Gallery, Melbourne
Recent Work Stephen McLaughlin Gallery, Melbourne.
Antipodes Gallery Sorrento
2000
Geodesy Span Gallery Melbourne
Recent Works on Paper Motorworks Gallery, Melbourne
1999
Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
King Street Gallery on Burton Sydney
1998
An Installation of Paintings’ St Stephens Church Richmond
Footnote Allison Kelly Gallery, Melbourne
Stephen McLaughlin Gallery, Melbourne
King Street Gallery on Burton, Sydney
Adelaide Central Art Gallery, Adelaide
Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle
1995
King Street Gallery on Burton, Sydney.
1994
Gallery Rhumbarallas, Melbourne
Adelaide Central Art Gallery, Adelaide
Recent Prints East Melbourne Hotel, Melbourne
1993
Darren Knight Gallery, Melbourne, Launch of artists book
seven songs seven etchings
1986
Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney
Dorettes Gallery, Canberra
1984
Galleria La Sirena, Barcelona, Spain
Tartessos’ Galleria, Cadaques, Spain
1982
Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney
Christine Abrahams Gallery, Melbourne
2025
The Dobell Drawing Prize, NAS, Sydney
2024
Twitcher Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Maitland NSW
The Gordon Darling Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
The Alice Prize, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, NT
National Works on Paper Prize, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Victoria
Omina Art Prize, St Kevin’s College, Toorak, Victoria
Mondo Art Prize, Australian Galleries, Melbourne
Kedumba Drawing Award Kedumba Gallery, Wentworth Falls, NSW
Pro Hart Outback Art Prize Broken Hill City Art Gallery, NSW
World of the Book State Library of Victoria, Vic
2023
Sea Sings, Lumen and Winged Realm, Albany Town Hall
Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing, Adelaide Perry Gallery, Sydney
Parallel Universe, Geelong Art Gallery, Geelong, VIC
WAMA Art Prize, Works on Paper, Ararat Gallery TAMA, Ararat VIC, Winner
2022
XV:PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE Gallerysmith, Melbourne
Tree, FortyFive Downstairs, Melbourne
A Precious Gift, The Graeme Williams Donation, Ballarat Art Gallery
National Print and Drawing Award 2022, Swan Hill Regional Gallery. (Winner, Drawing Award)
Returning to a subject through a lifetime: part two, Broken Hill City Art Gallery, 8 July 2022-12 February 2023
Fragile Earth: Extinction, Gippsland Art Gallery, VIC
Into the Wild, Warrnambool Art Gallery
Salon des Refusés, S.H. Irvin Gallery, Sydney
Waterhouse Prize, National Archives of Australia, Canberra
Waterhouse Prize, South Australian Museum, Adelaide
Swan Hill Print and Drawing Award, Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery, Vic Winner
2021
Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, NSW
Splash: McClelland Contemporary Watercolour Award, McCelland Sculpture Park
The Dobell Drawing Prize #22 National Art School, Sydney
Mono, Australian Galleries Melbourne
State of the mark, Work on paper, Australian Galleries.
Burnie Print Prize, Burnie Regional Art Gallery, Tas.
Geelong acquisitive print awards Geelong Gallery, Vic
The Dobell Drawing Prize, National Art School, Sydney and touring – 2023
2020
National Works on Paper Prize Mornington Peninsula Gallery
The Gosford Art Prize, Gosford NSW
2019
Muswellbrook Drawing Prize Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre
The Gallipoli Art Prize [winner] The Gallipoli Memorial Club, Sydney
Inside/Outside King Street Gallery on William, Sydney
Abstract 19’ King Street Gallery on William
The Purves Family Business, The First Four Decades, Australian Galleries
River on the brink, inside the Murray Darling Basin, SH Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Art Montsalvat, Victoria
2017
Mosman Art Prize Mosman Art Gallery, Sydney
Melbourne Printmakers Sagra Gallery, Melbourne
A Whole different Animal Brightspace, Melbourne
Tracing the Line Port Jackson Press, Melbourne
2016
As Far as the Eye Can See Blue Mountains Cultural Centre, NSW
Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize Adelaide Perry Gallery Sydney
Swan Hill Print and Drawing Award Swan Hill Regional Gallery, Swan Hill
Scratching the surface Port Jackson Press, Melbourne\
Flight Paths The Bird in Australian Art. Mornington Peninsular Regional Gallery
National works on paper Prize Mornington Peninsular Regional Gallery
Paul Guest Award Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo
2015
Gippsland Print Award Gippsland Art Gallery VIc
Recent Acquisitions Maroondah Art Gallery, Ringwood, Vic
Small works 2015 Beaver Gallery, Canberra. ACT
Smash and Grab Gallerysmith, Vic
Freedom of the Press Gladstone Regional art Gallery, Qld
The Mildura BMW Australian Print Triennial Prize Mildura, Vic
Inaugural Gippsland Print Award Gippsland Gallery, Sale, Vic
Hobart City Art Prize Hobart, Tas
Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, NSW
Geelong Print Prize Geelong Gallery, Vic
2014
Rio Tinto Alcan Martin Hanson Memorial Prize Gladstone Regional Gallery
6° OF SEPARATION! Arts Projects, Melbourne
Bay of Fires Art Prize St Helens Tasmania
City of Hobart Art Prize Hobart Tasmania
The Alice Prize Alice Springs NT
Knowing me Knowing you Arts Project
People I have worked with People I have worked for and friends Illustrated and other books, Artists Books, Langford 120 Melbourne
An Irish Connection Tussock Upstairs Gallery Point Lonsdale, Vic
2013
Fleurieu Art Prize
Last but not Least King Street Gallery on William, Sydney
Packsaddle New England Regional Art Gallery and Museum, NSW
Searching for Bird River Mine LARQ, ten Days on the Island
Festival, Queensland Tasmania
On a wing and a prayer MARS Gallery, Melbourne
The Wisdom of Birds Holding-King-Shimmen, Latrobe University, Art Centre Bendigo
Airborn McClelland Gallery + Sculpture Park, Elisabeth Murdock Gallery, Langwarrin, Vic
Mildura Palimpsest #9 Mildura, Vic
Corporeal Geelong Gallery, Geelong
Port Jackson Press, Melbourne, Vic
Looking Forward King Street Gallery on William
2012
Recent Acquisitions Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW
The Animal King Street Gallery on William
Kedumba Drawing Prize Blue Mountains
2011
Altitude art Lake Hindmarsh Project Gipps Street Gallery, Melbourne
Recent Acquisitions: Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection, Wangaratta
Dobell Prize for Drawing Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Vault Mildura Arts Centre, Vic
Silent Feathers [exploring the role of birds in contemporary society] Maroondah Art Gallery, Vic
Swoop [exploring the world of birds and other aerial adventures] Wagga Wagga Gallery, Vic
Reframed: selected works from the Moreland Art Collection [curated by Edwina Bartlem]
Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
2010
Everything and Nothing King Street Gallery on William
Recent Acquisitions Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2009
Gulag Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
2008
Masters Impressions Roopankar, Museum of Fine Arts, Bhopal, India
Strathbogies NE Victoria, Strathbogie Ranges James Makin Gallery, Melbourne
2007
Printed Warrnambool Art Gallery, Vic
The Bird Show MARS Gallery, Melbourne
2006
last show of the year king street gallery on burton
Salon De Montsalvat, Montsalvalt Gallery, Melbourne
South Georgia Sub Antarctica Dickerson Gallery, Sydney and MARS Gallery
Broken Hill Outback Art Prize Broken Hill Regional Gallery (First prize)
2005
Winter Collection Port Jackson Press Gallery, Melbourne
last show of the year, king street gallery on burton
ALTITUDE Shepparton Art Gallery, Shepparton, Vic
MLC Acquisitive Art Exhibition MLC Melbourne
Arco Coal Collection, Australia
Allens Arthur Robinson, Sydney
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of South Australia
Artbank, Australia
Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
Australian National Bank
Australian National Gallery, Canberra
Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne
Ballarat Art Gallery of Ballarat
Ballieau, Library, Melbourne University
Bharat Bhavan Museum, Bhopal, India
Bihar Museum, Patna, India
British Museum, London UK
Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery
Carleton College Library, Minesotta, USA.
Charles Darwin University
Chisholm Institute of Technology, VIC
Deakin University Art Collection
Education Department of Victoria
Eltham College, VIC
Faulding Collection, Adelaide
Federation University
Gallipoli Club, Sydney
Geelong Regional Art Gallery
Gippsland Art Gallery
Gladstone Regional Gallery
Goolugatup Heathcote Gallery
Horsham Regional Art Gallery
James Hardie Collection
Lismore Regional Art Gallery, NSW
Mackay Regional Art Gallery, Mackay
Maitland Regional Gallery
Macquarie Bank, Sydney
Maroondah Art Galley
M Karolyi Foundation, Vence, France
McLelland Gallery
Mildura Art Gallery
Mildura Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre
MLC, Melbourne
Monash University, VIC
Mornington Peninsular Regional Gallery
National Gallery of Victoria
National Australian Bank, NAB
Nillumbik Art Collection
Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences
Northern Territory University
Out Back Arts, INQ, Qld
Perth Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery
Print Council of Australia
Queensland State Library
RACV Art Collection
State Bank of NSW
State Library of Victoria, Melbourne
Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery
Sydney College of the Arts
Tamworth City Gallery, NSW
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
The Art Vault
University of Southern Queensland
Victorian College of the Arts
WAMA Art Museum, Vic
Wangaratta Art Gallery Collection
Warrnambool Regional Art Gallery, Vic
Innovative responses to Gallipoli are key in winning this $20,000 art prize by Sabine Brix
ArtsHub News
22 January 2020
Martin King wins the 2019 Gallipoli Art Prize with ‘War Pigeon Diaries’
Art Almanac Online
17 April 2019
Martin King wins the 2019 Gallipoli Art Prize with his work 'War Pigeon Diaries'
Jacqui Bonner
17 April 2019
The West Australian, The Daily Telegraph
17 April 2019
2019 Muswellbrook Art Prize: Work on paper WINNER
Muswellbrook Art Prize Online publication
March 2019
Artist Sacha Pola wins the prestigious annual Muswellbrook Art Prize by Cody Tsaousis
The Muswelbrook Chronicle Online
March 2019
Martin King wins the works on paper category at the Muswellbrook Art Prize
ART VAULT Online
March 2019
Workshops with Aboriginal artists from East Gippsland
Australian Print Workshop, NewsPrint No. 3
2000
Continuing Partnerships with Aboriginal Artist Communities
Australian Print Workshop, NewsPrint No. 2
1998
