Tom Phillips, the 2022 Guildhouse Fellow, presents the culmination of his fellowship in the collection Running on Empty at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Having opened last week, the exhibition will run until 31st of October and is a highlight of the month-long arts festival, South Australian Living Artists Festival (SALA).
Adelaide-based expressionist artist Tom Phillips was awarded the twelve-month fellowship in 2022 valued at $50,000, with the selection panel commending his dedication and steadfast commitment to his painting practice over the past 25 years.
The Guildhouse Fellowship was inaugurated in 2019 with the generous support of leading philanthropists, the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, to recognise and elevate South Australian artistic ambition. The annual fellowship offers a transformative opportunity for one mid-career South Australian visual artist each year, awarding funding to support research and development, including the creation of new work, with a presentation outcome at AGSA.
Painting from a place of personal experience and highlighting issues of social justice, Phillips’ work captures the everyday experiences of loneliness, alienation, vulnerability and hardship. Gestural layers of oil paint and oil pastels are built up laying bare the human struggle.
Tom Phillips says, “My paintings are raw as I choose to use the marks as a vehicle to express my ideas and feeling through paints. I use the rawness of colour to create a tense emotional experience within my paintings.”
Kerry de Lorme, Executive Director of the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation says, “I was deeply moved by the stories behind his paintings and hearing what this opportunity means to him. The Foundation is very proud of the success achieved by past and current Fellows, as we have seen their careers flourish. We are delighted that through this Fellowship, Tom now has this wonderful opportunity to showcase his work at AGSA.”
Tom Phillips: Running on Empty
Until 31st of October
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
Hero image credit: AGSA
