CV
Born 1989 in Sydney, Australia
Currently works and resides in Sydney, Australia
Awards/Education
2023 Burwood Art Prize (Finalist), Sydney, AU
2015 Bachelor of Film Production (Honours - First Class) SAE, Sydney, AU
Exhibitions
Solo/Duo
2023 It Was Written (with Joel Izak Smith), Abstract Thoughts, Sydney AU
2022 I Wish God Was Alive To See This, Nano Gallery, Sydney. AU
Group
2025 Voyeurism, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, AU (Upcoming)
2025 Works On Paper, China Heights, Sydney, AU (Upcoming)
2025 Very Important Painting, Darlings, Sydney, AU
2025 The Garage, Toxic Arts, London, UK
2024 Neither Dream, Nor Delusion, China Heights, Sydney, AU
2023 Burwood Art Prize, Sydney, AU
2020 Love Matilda, Goodspace, Sydney, AU
2018 Omni Salvation, Center Red , Moscow, RU
BIO
Wade Kelly (b.1989) is a multidisciplinary conceptual artist based in Sydney whose work spans painting, sculpture, and installation. With a background in film production and poetry, his practice integrates language, found objects, and domestic materials to explore the human condition and contemporary society.
In his paintings, Kelly employs expressionist gestures where words and forms collide, creating layered dialogues blending personal experience, cultural references, and existential musings. Infused with sardonic wit, his text challenges viewers to rethink the fluidity of meaning in a fragmented world. His recent work examines collective memory and myth-making, reinterpreting Michael Jordan’s career through vibrant colours and dynamic compositions, prompting reflections on a culture obsessed with performance and perfection.
Extending these themes into three-dimensional arrangements, Kelly recontextualises everyday objects into provocative installations, balancing humour and confrontation. His work explores existence in a commodified world, pushing boundaries to foster critical engagement and self-reflection.