Daniel McKewen

Working appropriatively across a range of media including video installation, his work creatively and speculatively examines how these institutionalised structures operate through formal and symbolic conventions. The resulting artworks explore and express how our subjective and inter-subjective interpretations of this order can allow us to make sense of our own social experiences.

In 2013 Daniel was awarded his Doctorate of Philosophy from Queensland University of Technology where is currently a Lecturer in Visual Art. His artwork is held in public and private collections and has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including in NEW14 at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, and You Imagine What You Desire at the 19th Biennale of Sydney. Daniel is represented by Milani Gallery, Brisbane.

Education

2013

• Doctor of Philosophy (Visual Arts), Queensland University of Technology
  

2006

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts) Honours (First Class), Queensland University of Technology

Solo Exhibitions

2021

• The Slow Cancellation of the Future, Spring Hill Reservoir with Milani Gallery, Brisbane

2019-20

• Promissory Estoppel, IMA Belltower Façade Projection, Brisbane
  

2018

• Paper Empire, Bus Projects, Melbourne
  

2016

• Strange Loops, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney

2014

• Spectral Value, Milani Gallery, Brisbane
  

2012

• Faces of Vanity Fair, QUT Public Art Billboard, Brisbane
• Distance, IMA@Ksubi, Brisbane
• The Art of Being a Fan, The Block, QUT, Brisbane

2011

• Portraits, Metro Arts, Brisbane
  

2010

• Top Ten Box Office Blockbusters of All Time, Metro Arts, Brisbane
  

2007

• BETA, Boxcopy ARI, Brisbane

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024

• Deeply Unserious, Redcliffe Art Gallery, Brisbane

2023

• Ramsay Art Prize, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
• A Commodity is a Strange Thing, Cellar Door, Sydney
• Fisher's Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown

2022

• 15 Artists, Redcliffe
• Fischer's Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown
• Welcome Home, Museum of Art, Rockhampton
• Art Mixtape, HOTA Gallery, Gold Coast

2021

• Art Mixtape, HOTA Gallery, Gold Coast
• Conflict In My Outlook, UQ Art Museum, Brisbane
• Ramsay Art Prize, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
  

2020

• New For Old, Metro Arts Gallery, Brisbane
• Conflict In My Outlook, We Met Online, UQ Art Museum, Brisbane
• Currency, New Media Gallery, Vancouver
  

2019

• Poetics of the Line, Kudos Gallery, Sydney
• ‘BAD’ Festival, Brisbane Quarter Pop-up, Brisbane
  

2018

• Class Act, Outer Space ARI, Brisbane
• The Night Before, Pop-up Exhibition, Marrickville, Sydney
  

2017

• Presentism, Boxcopy Contemporary Art Space, Brisbane
• Creative Accounting (touring exhibition), UQ Art Museum, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery et al.
  

2016

• Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown
• The R&M McGivern Prize, ArtSpace at REALM, Ringwood
• Neo-Normal (John Fries Award), UNSW Galleries, Sydney
• Big Cheese (presented as part of Dark Mofo), Contemporary Art Tasmania, Hobart
  

2015

• Resistance, Screengrab International Media Arts Award, Pinnacles Gallery, Townsville
• Text, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane
• Two Party State, Channels Video art festival, Melbourne
• The Churchie national emerging art prize, Griffith University Art Gallery, Brisbane
• Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery
  

2014

• The List, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown
• John Fries Memorial Prize, UNSW Galleries, Sydney
• The Substation Contemporary Art Prize, The Substation, Newport
• The Churchie national emerging art prize, Griffith University Art Gallery, Brisbane
• You Imagine What You Desire, 19th Biennale of Sydney, Sydney
  NEW14, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne
  

2013

• Talk Show (after the break), Kudos gallery, Melbourne
• With Open Arms, Blindside ARI, Melbourne
• Bazinga!, Starkwhite Gallery, Auckland
• Peripheral Visions: Contemporary art from Australia, Garis & Hahn Gallery, New York
• The Social, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown
  

2012

• Gold Coast Art Prize 2012, Gold Coast Arts Centre, Gold Coast
• Greatest Hits Volume Three, IMA, Brisbane (touring)
• SafARI Art Festival, The Rocks Popup, Sydney
  

2011

• Peeping Toms screening, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
• Grid North, The Block – QUT, Brisbane, (as Boxcopy)
• The Knowledge, Post Museum, Singapore, (as Boxcopy)
  

2010-2007

• Semiotics @ Play, Downtown Cool Media Festival, Tokyo
• Structural Integrity, 2010 Next Wave Festival, Melbourne, (as Boxcopy)
• Some absolute beauties, Seventh Gallery, Melbourne, (as Boxcopy)
• Perfection, Metro Arts, Brisbane
• The Light in Winter, Federation Square, Melbourne
• Great Expectations, Next Wave Festival, Melbourne
• The Vernacular Terrain, Songzhuang Art Museum, Beijing
• Greatest Hits/Previously Unreleased Tracks, IMA, Brisbane
• Fresh Cut, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
• International Digital Art, Beijing Film Academy, Beijing

Grants And Awards

• Finalist - 2021 Ramsay Art Prize, Art Gallery of South Australia
• Recipient – 2018 Arts Project Grant, Australia Council for the Arts
• Recipient – 2018 Creative Sparks Grant, Brisbane City Council
• Recipient – 2015 Arts Project Grant, Australia Council for the Arts
• Recipient – 2013 New Work Grant, Australia Council for the Arts
• Recipient – 2012 QANTAS Encouragement of Contemporary Art award
• Recipient – QUT Postgraduate Research Award Scholarship
• Finalist – 2016 Fisher’s Ghost Art Award
• Finalist – 2016 John Fries Memorial Prize
• Finalist – 2016 The R&M McGivern Prize
• Finalist – 2015 Screengrab International Media Arts Award
• Finalist – 2015 Sunshine Coast New Media Art Award
• Finalist – 2015 Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award
• Finalist – 2015 The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize
• Finalist – 2014 John Fries Memorial Prize
• Finalist – 2014 The Substation Contemporary Art Prize
• Finalist – 2014 The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize
• Finalist – 2013 SOYA QANTAS Award – Visual Arts
• Finalist – 2012 SOYA QANTAS Award – Visual Arts
• Finalist – 2012 Gold Coast Art Prize

Selected Bibliography And Interviews

• Class Act, Sophie Rose, Exhibition Review – Un Projects, 2019 (link)
• Paper Empire, Sarah Werkmeister, Exhibition Essay – Bus Projects, 2018 (PDF)
• Neo-Normal, Oliver Watts – John Fries Award Catalogue, 2016 (link)
• The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner, Jason Farago – Art in America magazine online, March 2014 (link)
• An Outsider Looking In, Madeleine Stack – BOMB Magazine, August 2014 (link)
• Set Piece, Marianne Templeton, Exhibition Essay for NEW 14 – ACCA, 2014 (PDF)
• Daniel McKewen, NEW14 Artist Interview – Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (link)
• The List: Daniel McKewen – Das Platforms/Campbelltown Arts Centre (link)
• Critic’s Choice, Robert Leonard – Art Collector Issue 66 Nov-Dec 2013
• In Pursuit of Critical Distance, Chris Handran, Exhibition Essay – IMA Publications (PDF)
• Artist Profile – Daniel McKewen – SafARI 2012 (link)
• Portraits, Anita Holtsclaw, Exhibition Essay – MetroArts, 2011 (PDF)

Commissions And Collections

• Kick Off 2012 commission – Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast
• QUT Public Art Billboard – QUT Kelvin Grove, Brisbane
• QUT Art Museum
• Rockhampton Art Gallery
• Artbank Collection
• Private Collections