Sculptor Paul Selwood was born in 1946 in Sydney, NSW. He first studied sculpture at the National Art School, graduating in 1965. He would eventually return in 1989 to lecture in Sculpture and Drawing. In 1966, he travelled to Greece to carve marbles in the Lit Nitus quarries on the Island of Paros (famed in Antiquity for its pure white marble). From there he travelled to London and became a technical assistant at the Sculpture School of the Royal College of Art.
Selwood returned to Sydney in 1971 following a period of time lecturing at the Bath Academy of Art in the UK. Upon his return, he lectured at Macquarie University and Woollahra Arts Centre in Sydney. From 1977 to 1983 he lectured in sculpture at the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education in Toowoomba, Queensland. In 1984, he was an Artist Fellow at the Sculpture Symposium at the School of Art (ANU) and the inaugural “Artist Speak” forum at Queensland Art Gallery.
From 1989 to 1996, Paul lectured at the City Art Institute in Sydney and Newcastle University, NSW. Since then, he has worked full time as a sculptor at his studio in Wollombi, NSW.
Paul Selwood’s extended career has seen 41 solo exhibitions since 1972, with an upcoming solo exhibition in April 2024. His work revolves around one’s desire to toy with and investigate the relationship between form and space. His Folded Form series, which grouped a number of steel planes together, sees them folded rather than welded together in order to create a three-dimensional form that “plays with the constraints” of steel. (Charles Nodrum, Charles Nodrum Gallery website, 2019)
Selwood works with paper as well; modelled ideas provide Paul with an immediacy to envision the finished product. Through these works, Paul is able to experiment freely with colour.
Selwood’s work is included in multiple public, corporate and regional collections such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Kumstrup Engineering, Denmark, Macquarie Bank Collection, National Bank Collection and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as well as New England Regional Art Museum and Orange Regional Gallery, NSW.
Selwood has also been awarded two commissions: The Cessnock City Council for Performing Arts Centre, NSW in 2009 and Victorian Bar Association for the Owen Dixon Chambers, Melbourne in 2002.
Paul Selwood has been represented by King Street Gallery since 2018.
In January 2022, Paul Selwood installs 2 large sculptures for loan in the gardens of Government House Sydney. Film by Riste Andrievski 2022
Hunter Valley artist Paul Selwood was the winner of Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2011 and awarded with the Balnaves Foundation Sculpture Prize of $65,000. Selwood began making sculpture in 1964 after he enrolled at East Sydney Technical College. He was technical assistant at the Royal College of Art, London from 1965–8 and worked for Sir Anthony Caro, one of the world’s most influential sculptors and an invited artist to Sculpture by the Sea 2011.
Australian sculptor Paul Selwood, who is commenting on his latest work "Expanded Figure". The sculpture will be Kamstrup's new landmark at the headquarters in Denmark.
2024
Unfolding World King Street Gallery on William, Sydney NSW
2022
Blue Note King Street Gallery on William, Sydney
2019
Selected sculpture King Street Gallery on William
2018
Paul Selwood, A Survey of Small Sculptures Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, NSW
Paul Selwood: Recent Sculpture Watters Gallery, Sydney
Perspective Cutouts Burrows Project Sydney
2016
Paul Selwood – Recent Sculpture Watters Gallery
Paul Selwood: From Matter to Manner Maitland Regional Art Gallery, NSW
2015
Figure and Ground (with Roy Jackson) RAFT artspace, Alice Springs, NT
2014
Paul Selwood – sculpture, studies and notes Watters Gallery
2013
Paul Selwood: Wall Sculptures Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne
2012
Paul Selwood: Sculpture Watters Gallery
2010
Perspective Cutouts Maitland Regional Art Gallery Touring Exhibition
Paul Selwood – new sculpture Watters Gallery
2009
Sculpture Watters Gallery
Perspective Cutouts Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, Touring Maitland
Unquelled Watters Gallery
2007
Paper and Steel Despard Gallery, Hobart
2006
Sculpture Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne
Recent Sculpture Watters Gallery
Recent Sculpture and Paper Constructions Stephanie Burns Fine Art, Yarralumla, ACT
2004
New Works Watters Gallery
2003
Recent Sculpture Charles Nodrum Gallery
2002
Paul Selwood Recent Sculpture Watters Gallery
2000
Tragedie Comedie Sculpture Watters Gallery
1999
Beltore Group and Other Sculptures Watters Gallery
1998
Paul Selwood: An Exhibition of Sculptures the Sir Hermann Black Gallery, University of Sydney
Sculptures and Drawings Watters Gallery
1996
Landscape As Still Life, and Other Sculptures Watters Gallery
1993
Cellular Forms Watters Gallery
1992
Recent Sculpture Watters Gallery
1990
Recent Sculpture Watters Gallery
1988
Sculpture and Linocuts Watters Gallery
1986
Recent Sculptures Watters Gallery
1984
Paul Selwood Sculpture Charlotte Street Gallery, Brisbane
1983
Recent Sculpture Watters Gallery
1981
Sculpture Watters Gallery
1978
Paul Selwood: Recent Sculpture Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
1974
Rainforest Pictures Watters Gallery
1973
Raffin Gallery, Orange, New South Wales
1972
Recent Paintings and Sculptures Watters Gallery
2023
Sculpture by the sea, Bondi, Sydney, NSW
2022
Sculpture by the sea, Bondi, Sydney, NSW
Sculpture in the vineyards, Wollombi, NSW
Colour is a kind of bliss, Delmar Gallery, Trinity Grammar School, Sydney
Contour 556, Art Biennial 22 Canberra, ACT
2021
The Big Picture Show King Street Gallery on William, Sydney, NSW
The Sir John Sulman Prize Art Gallery New South Wales (AGNSW), Sydney
2019
Abstract 19’ King Street Gallery on William
2017
An Idiosyncratic selection Watters Gallery
2016
Sculpture at Sawmillers Sawmillers Reserve, McMahons Point, Sydney
#SAVENAS Defiance Gallery Sydney
2015
Sydney Sculpture Defiance Gallery at the Yellow House, Sydney
Sydney Contemporary Carriageworks, Sydney
2014
Certain Abstract Things Griffith University Gallery, Qld
Sculpture at Sawmillers Sawmillers Reserve
Some ways of Depicting Landscape Watters Gallery
Sculpture City S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney
Watters Gallery Five Decades S.H. Ervin Gallery
2013
Stuck Together, collage and assemblages Defiance Gallery
Sculpture by the Sea Aarhus – Denmark
Sydney Contemporary Carriageworks, Sydney
Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
2012
2 x 2 Adelaide Central School of Art Adelaide
Melbourne Artfair 2012 Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
2011
Abstraction Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra
2010
The Sir John Sulman Art Prize AGNSW
Art Month Sydney, Watters Gallery
Melbourne Artfair 2010 Royal Exhibition Building
2009
2008 Revisited Watters Gallery
2007
The Sculptors Cipher, Richard Goodwin and Paul Selwood, The Delmar Gallery, Sydney
McClelland Sculpture Survey McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park, Vic
Woollarha Small Sculpture Prize Woollarah Council Chambers, Sydney
Abstraction 07 Charles Nodrum Gallery, Melbourne
2006
Melbourne Artfair 2006 Royal Exhibition Building
Watters Gallery 20th Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
2005
Homage Cezanne Stephanie Burns Fine Art, Canberra
Drawings and three Dimensions Gallery Onetwentyeight, New York
2004 Revisited Watters Gallery
National Sculpture Prize National Gallery of Australia (NGA), Canberra
2004
Sculpture 2004 Watters Gallery
Sculpture in the Vines Hunter Valley Vineyards
University of Western Sydney Acquisitive Sculpture Award & Exhibition Campbelltown Campus, Sydney
Melbourne Artfair 2004 Royal Exhibition Building
2003
Sculpture 2003 Watters Gallery
Sculpture in the Vines Hunter Valley Vineyards
2002
Briefcase 50 Boutwell Draper Gallery, Sydney
Sculpture by the Sea Bondi, Sydney
Melbourne Artfair 2002 Royal Exhibition Building
2001
Rocks and Flesh Stephanie Burns Fine Art, Canberra
Woollahra Sculpture Prize Woollahra Council Chambers, Sydney
Archival Oils Exhibition Watters Gallery
2000
Sculpture 2000 Access Gallery, Sydney
Sculpture by the Sea Bondi
Selected Works Watters Gallery
Watters Gallery 15th Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
Melbourne Artfair 2000 Royal Exhibition Building
1999
The Innovators S.H. Ervin Gallery
We Are Australian Australian multicultural foundation, touring 1999-2000
Sculpture by the Sea Bondi
Watters Gallery 14th Summer Watters Gallery
1998
The Wynne Prize AGNSW
Two Sculptures and Seven Paintings Watters Gallery
Watters Gallery 13th Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
1997
It’s a Box II Defiance Gallery
The Biggest Little Sculpture Show in Town Defiance Gallery
Watters Gallery Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
1996
A Box By Any Other Name Defiance Gallery
The Real Salon des Refusés Ardt Gallery, Sydney
Fifth Australian Contemporary Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building
Artists of the Wollombi Valley Maitland City Art Gallery
Watters Gallery Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
1995
The First Eleven University of Newcastle Gallery
Recent Small Works Watters Gallery
Works from Stock Watters Gallery
Negative Positive Positive Negative Watters Gallery
Watters Gallery Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
1994
Fourth Australian Contemporary Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
Watters Gallery Summer Exhibition No.8 Watters Gallery
1992
Contemporary Australian Drawing Museum of Contemporary Art, Brisbane
Third Australian Contemporary Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building
Whaling Street Studios Print Show POD Gallery, Sydney
Watters Gallery Summer Exhibition Watters Gallery
1990
Second Australian Contemporary Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building
40 Artists 40 Works: Works on paper, an exhibition of work by artists represented by Watters Gallery Second Australian Contemporary Art Fair, Royal Exhibition Building
Shifting Ground AGNSW
College of Fine Art Staff Exhibition University Gallery, Newcastle University
1989
Sculptors at the Table, (with 15 sculptors) Australian Crafts Centre, Sydney, touring Regional Galleries
Wally Barda, Collage; Paul Selwood Sculpture Watters Gallery
Portrait of a Gallery, Watters 25th anniversary exhibition touring to 8 regional galleries around Australia, until 1991
1988
First Australian Contemporary Art Fair Royal Exhibition Building
The Intuitive Line, (with John Peart) Watters Gallery
Works on Paper, (with Robert Klippel & Ken Whisson) Watters Gallery
Hunter Valley Sculpture Maitland City Gallery
Portrait of a Gallery: an exhibition of work by artists represented by Watters Gallery Sydney Royal Building, Melbourne
The Face of Australia Australian Regional Galleries Bicentennial Touring Exhibition
1987
Off the Pedestal Irving Sculpture Gallery, Sydney
1985
Ninth Mildura Sculpture Triennial Mildura Arts Centre, Vic
1986
Hunter Valley Sculptors Newcastle City Art Gallery
1984
Australian Sculpture Now, 2nd Australian Sculpture Triennial National Gallery of Victoria
Canberra School of Art Sculpture Symposium Exhibition Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney
Garden Sculpture Woollahra Sculpture Garden Sydney
1981
The First Australian Sculpture Triennial La Trobe University, Victoria
1974
Ten Years Watters Gallery
Lennox Head Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
Trustees Exhibition Queensland Art Gallery
Australia ’75 Commonwealth Gardens, Canberra
1973
Sculpturescape ’73 Mildura Arts Centre
1971
Sydney Sculptors Woollahra Sculpture Garden
1969
Three Artists touring Britain sponsored by the Arts Council of Great Britain and Kasmin Ltd
1967
Sculpture ’67 AIA Gallery, London
Preview London Camden Arts Centre, London
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, New South Wales
Gold Coast Regional Gallery, Queensland
Griffith University Art Collection, Queensland
Heidi Museum of Contemporary Art, Melbourne
Kumstrup Engineering, Denmark
Liverpool City Council, New South Wales
Macquarie Bank, NSW, Singapore
Macquarie University, New South Wales
Maitland Regional Art Gallery, New South Wales
Mildura Arts Centre, Victoria
National Bank Collection, Victoria
New England Regional Art Museum, New South Wales
Orange Regional Art Gallery, New South Wales
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
Stanthorpe City Council, Queensland
Townsville City Council, Queensland
UBS Collection, Victoria
No sculpture at Bondi? Manly, Wollombi and Mudgee offer a fix by John McDonald
The Sydney Morning Herald
23 October 2020
ABC News
15 October 2020
One of Australia's finest abstract sculptors to open Mudgee's Sculptures in the Gardens
Mudgee Guardian
2017
Marion Borgelt and Paul Selwood: brave lives; bold artworks by John McDonald
The Sydney Morning Herald
2016
