Bernard Ollis OAM (born 25 April 1951 in Bath, England) is a British-Australian artist, painter and advocate for arts education. He lives and works in Sydney and Paris.[1]
He has an extensive academic and professional portfolio across numerous arts institutions within Australia and Europe. Ollis is the former Director of the National Art School, Sydney.[2]
Ollis is the longest serving director of the National Art School; his tenure spanned over 11 years (1997 – 2008).[3] He has held over 80 solo exhibitions across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Germany, France and the UK.[4]
Early life and education
Ollis was born and raised in Bath, Somerset, England in 1951. Growing up, Ollis lived in numerous council houses with his family. He was the first child in his family to attend university.[5][6]
As a child, Ollis attended Bath Art Secondary School (1962 – 1967),[7] where he developed his interest and talent in art.
From 1969 – 1973, he attended Cardiff College of Art & Design, Wales, after winning a scholarship in 1963. He graduated with a diploma and B.A. Hons. in Fine Art. Following this, he won a three-year bursary to attend the prestigious Royal College of Art, London, in 1973.[8]
Ollis has held over 60 solo exhibitions since 1972 in Australia, New Zealand, and London, and has participated in group exhibitions throughout Australia, Europe, and Asia.[12] Ollis undertook a residency at the Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris in 1975 and in 2008 he underwent a Residency as the guest of the Australian Ambassador to Egypt, Dr Bob Bowker. Subsequent residencies include the Obracadobra artist residency in Oaxaca City, Mexico, with Mawson's Huts Foundation to Antarctica in 2014, and an international artist residency at Funxing-Ginger Art Space, Zhouzhuang, Jiangsu, China in 2015.
Ollis received the 1976 John Minton International Painting Prize, the 1977 Sir Frederick Richards’ Travelling Scholarship (UK), an Australia Council Visual Arts Board Grant (1984), and the Conrad Jupiters Award in 2005 (Gold Coast City Art Gallery QLD). Ollis's work is currently held in public collections in Australia and the United Kingdom, including the Royal College of Art London, National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House, Canberra, and the State Galleries of Queensland, Victoria and Northern Territory. His partner is artist Wendy Sharpe.
Residencies and scholarships
During his studies at the RCA, Ollis was awarded a four-month residency at the Cite Internationale des Arts in 1975. It was this experience that sparked a lifelong relationship with France, and Paris is frequently referenced in Ollis’ work.[13][14][15]
He also received a scholarship from the Commonwealth Institute, London, to undertake a residency with the Maltese Studio International as part of the Youth Arts Festival, Malta in 1975.[13]
Selected solo exhibitions
2019 Departures, Aarwun, Canberra
2019 The Traveller, Mitchell Fine Art Gallery, Brisbane
2018 Bernard Ollis, Anala Art Advisory, Glenbrook, Blue Mountains
2018 Being There, Harvey Galleries, Mosman & Seaforth, Sydney
2018 Traveler's Tales: Paris and Morocco, Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth
2017 Paris and Other Stories, Aarwun Galleries, Canberra
2017 Observations, Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane (May)
2017 Favourite Places, Harvey Galleries Seaforth and Mosman, Sydney
2016 Run Ya Artspace Linyi China
2016 Cultural Exchange of Australia and China, Linyi Arts Centre Shandong
2016 Storytelling about China – Shanghai Cultural Centre & Art Gallery China
2016 Open Studio – Travel Paintings, Linton and Kay Galleries, Perth WA
2016 Travels to Paris, Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Seaforth, Sydney NSW
2015 Brisbane and Beyond, Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane, Queensland
2015 Bernard Ollis: 54 Works at Michael Reid Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2015 Observations of Paris, NG Gallery, Sydney
2015 Theatre of Life, Buratti Fine Art, Perth, WA
2015 Antarctica- Shackleton, The Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney
2014 Bernard Ollis, Kenthurst Galleries, NSW 2014 Le Regard de deux Australiens, L’Espace Beaujon, Paris, France
2014 Traveller's Tales, Tweed River Regional Gallery, NSW
2013 A Town Like Paris, Muk Muk Fine Art, travelling show to Alice Springs, Darwin, Brisbane
2013 Paris Work, Buratti Fine Art, Perth 2012 – 13 Modern Living: Bernard Ollis. A survey of the work of Bernard Ollis, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Sydney
2012 Paris Considered, NG Art Gallery, Sydney 2012 Parisian Reflections, Letham Galleries, Auckland, NZ
Presently, Ollis works in a large studio warehouse in inner Sydney, and in an apartment/studio in Montmartre, Paris, which he owns with his partner, artist Wendy Sharpe.[17] Australia remains his home-base.
He has three daughters; Myfanwy, Madeline and Vanessa.[18]
