Born 1975, Singapore
Lives & works Sydney NSW
A Singapore-born and Sydney-based contemporary landscape painter who explores abstraction in landscapes. I look for shapes and colours in the landscape and portray them in simple forms so there is an abstract quality to the work.
"My works are also about characterisation of natural elements found in the land. Giving character to paddock trees, clouds, hills and farm dams creates a unique narrative of the landscape."
A self-taught studio-based painter, are not painted from life, rather they are imagined. Painting in a figurative abstract style, using a signature palette and gestural brush strokes to express the movements in the land and figurative elements to visually anchor the landscape.
His paintings are first and foremost abstract works and secondly, landscapes. The abstract aspects of the work draw the viewer in and allow them the opportunity to interpret what they see, adding the figurative elements so the viewer appreciates the familiar typical elements of a landscape, which helps them anchor their perspectives on the work.
The American abstract expressionists of the 1950s, particularly the colour field painters (i.e. Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still), are the key influences to Lai's practice. "They teach me to use colour and shapes to create the structure in my works". Other influences include figurative painters (e.g. Philip Guston, Paul Klee, Henry Taylor and Rose Wylie) who assist him work through adding figurative elements onto abstracted foundational layers.
A finalist in a number of Australian national art prizes, including the 2023 Sir John Sulman Prize, 2019 & 2020 Paddington Art Prize and the 2022 & 2023 Calleen Art Award.
Exhibited with public and commercial galleries in Australia and Europe.
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
2024 - Blacktown City Art Prize - Finalist
2023 - Sir John Sulman Prize - Finalist
2023 - Hawkesbury Art Prize - Finalist (Commended)
2023 - Lethbridge 20000 Art Award - Finalist
2023 - Calleen Art Award - Finalist
2022 - Calleen Art Award - Finalist
2022 - Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award - Finalist
2021 - SBS Landscape Prize - Finalist
2021 - Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Prize - Finalist
2021 - Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award - Finalist
2021 - SBS Portrait Prize - Finalist
2020 - Paddington Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - Gosford Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - Greenway Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - Little Things Art Prize - Finalist
2020 - SBS Landscape Prize - Finalist
2020 - Inverell Art Prize - Finalist (Acquired into Inverell Art Gallery’s permanent collection)
2020 - Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award - Finalist
2020 - The Alice Prize - Finalist
2019 - Paddington Art Prize - Finalist
2019 - Hornsby Art Prize - Finalist
2019 - Blacktown City Art Prize - Finalist
2019 - Hawkesbury Art Prize - Finalist
2024 - Group exhibition - Inverell Art Gallery (Inverell, NSW)
2024 - Solo exhibition - Woollahra Gallery (Sydney)
2023 - Sulman Prize Finalist Exhibition - Art Gallery of New South Wales 2023 - Group exhibition - Stala Contemporary (Perth)
2023 - Group exhibition - Day Gallery (Blackheath, Sydney)
2020 - Group landscape exhibition - Michael Reid Gallery (Sydney) 2020 - Group landscape exhibition - Michael Reid Gallery (Berlin)
2019 - Group exhibition - Amber Creswell Bell curates (Sydney)
2019 to 2024 - Art prize finalist exhibitions (various - Australia)
