Born in Sydney in 1939, he studied at Julian Ashton School whilst being employed in commercial art. An Italian Government Scholarship in 1960 enabled his to travel to Italy and London, followed by two years in New York on a Harkness Fellowship. Numerous awards including Sir William Angliss Memorial Prize 1975, Archibald and Sulman Prizes 1976, and in 1977 he won three of Sydney's Art Prizes, the Archibald, the Wynne and the Sulman Prize, and the Archibald, Sulman and Wynune Prizes in 1978. Since his death in 1992 his studio in Surry Hills has become the Brett Whiteley Museum, a retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Art Gallery of NSW in 1995
Self Portrait in the Studio 1976 (see print) won him the Archibald prize. Sydney Harbour can be seen in the window, Whiteley's face reflected in the oval mirror.
Brett Whiteley in his London studio at the age of 26

Excerpt from the film 'The Australian Londoners' directed by Stefan Sargent. In this clip from the 1965 documentary 'The Australian Londoners', Brett Whiteley, aged 26, discusses why he s an Australian artist is living in London.
Clip courtesy of Stefan Sargent © 1965 Stefan Sargent
from YOU TUBE

original is in the
Art Gallery of NSW

 Self Portrait in the Studio
 original is oil, collage, hair on canvas and in the
Art Gallery of NSW
Painting was awarded the Archibald Prize 1976.

original is on canvas and in the
Art Gallery of NSW

Lyre Bird
original is in the
Art Gallery of NSW