Richard Lewer

Richard Lewer’s new paintings are about the game of rugby.

As to be expected from a New Zealand man living abroad, they are nostalgic, and unapologetically so. Rugby became important to Lewer when he moved to Australia. He sees the game as a connecting force – for his friends, his family, and his nation.

Lewer’s social realist practice explores stories from the realms of crime, religion and sport. He sees parallels between being an artist and an athlete – both roles rely on endurance.

This work continues my interests in extreme behaviour, subcultures and the human condition, and specifically considers people or events of faith, healing, mysticism and tradition teachings in one form or...