with each painting, a new beginning

avec chaque peinture, un nouveau début

Biography

There is perhaps no career other than artist that would have suited Anton Piche’s astonishing life. Born in French Algeria just prior to the country's volatile independence was reached, he found himself displaced from his homeland on the eve of his teenage years. Uprooted to mainland Europe with his family, he matured into an unsettled wanderer of the world, amassing extraordinary experiences and acquaintances. Eventually landing back in Paris in 1971 after spending five years in tropical Venezuela. For the next decade, he studied painting and sculpture at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (ENSBA), under war-weary professors who instructed him on art history and the alchemic practices of the European masters. He learned to value craftsmanship and virtuosity, experimenting with different media, grinding pigments and making his own paints - a practice he continues today. For one year, he took up residency at Château Noir, the Provencal site made famous by Cézanne.

In 1978 while in London Piche met an Australian woman named Marelle, a single mother with two young children, Justin, aged 4 years and Miranda, aged two years. In 1980, Piche headed south to Perugia, Italy for two years, after the completion of which he and Marelle were married in Nice, France. Their daughter Marina (named after grandmother) was born soon after.

The family relocated to Australia in 1983, living first in Adelaide, then transferring to Sydney in 1987, before returning to live in Europe in 1988. After a brief time in Paris, they moved to Spain in 1990, where Alejandro was born in Seville. For the next five years, Piche lived and worked as an artist, exhibiting throughout the Andalusian region. By 1996, the family was ready to return to Australia. Although his base cities have changed over the last two decades, he has remained in the country ever since.

For the next thirteen long years he almost completely stop painting, spending most of is time in the red heart of the Australian landscape. Now living in Brisbane, he paints full time in his studio space surrounded by books, photographs, textiles and other artists. It is a space layered with the memories and influences of his quintessentially avant-garde life. In 2014 and 2018 he won the Queensland Figurative Art Prize.

Art Education

1970 - 71 Studied at the School of Art in Caracas, Venezuela

1971 Moved to Paris

1971 - 72 Studied at the Art Academy of La Grande Chaumière, Paris and participated in a group exhibition in the Varennes Gallery, Paris

1972 - 80 Studied in the National Art School of Paris with Pierre Carron (painting), Nicola Waker and Abraham Pincas (painting), Marcel Damboise (sculpture)

1973 - 74 Resident of the Château-Noir (Cézanne 's used this house as his studio and painted it several times, this building and surroundings are impregnated with the memory of this legendary artist)

1980 - 81 Academy of Art in Perugia, Italy

1983 Moved to Australia (became an Australian citizen)

1990 - 96 Lived and worked in Spain

1996 Moved back to Australia

2013 Lives and works in Brisbane

Exhibitions

1984 Solo exhibition at Anima Gallery, Adelaide SA

1985 - 86 Anima Gallery

1991 Regional Gallery, Almonte, Spain

1992 Group exhibition, Almonte, Spain

Solo exhibition, University of Seville, Spain

Solo exhibition, University La Rabida, Huelva, Spain

1993 Gallery Plus Ultra, Huelva, Spain

Solo exhibition at Regional Gallery of Bollullos del Condado

1995 Co-exhibition at Centro International de Documentation de Donana, Almonte, Spain

Group exhibition at Gallery Felix Gomez, Seville, Spain

2000 Solo exhibition at Art Images Gallery for the SALA week, Adelaide

2001 Group exhibition at Art Images Gallery, Adelaide

2013 - 14 Artist in residence Sculptors Queensland, Brisbane

2014 Winner of the Queensland Figurative Prize, judged by Wendy Sharpe

2015 Three Artist exhibiting at the Old Museum, Brisbane

Finalist Manning Art Prize 2015

2016 Solo Exhibition 'Colours of Our Skin' at Bosz Gallery Brisbane. 23 February - 12 March

2017 KOLLECTIVE Group Exibition, South Brisbane. POPTART GALLERY LDN

2018 Winner of the Queensland Figurative Prize, judged by Lewis Miller

2019 Finalist NAKED & NUDE ART PRIZE

Finalist BRISBANE PORTRAIT PRIZE

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