Sign-painter / opal miner turned landscape painter breathes new life into the art market with his arresting landscapes. Christopher Lees reflects an authority in his brushstrokes which is evident in his monumental perspectives of the Australian terrain. In his twenties Lees travelled extensively throughout remote Australia, working as an opal miner and sign-writer. Now based in rural Victoria, his experiences of the outback (and his own bush property and surrounds) unravel on the canvas in panoramic and dioramic form.

“Freedom has always been important to me. When I was younger, if I didn’t like what I was doing, I would just walk away. I would get in the car, maybe even travel to another state, and simply trust that I would find other work. I feel privileged to be in this position – painting full-time and still having that freedom to travel for inspiration.”

He says that, as a self-taught artist, painting is more instinctual for him. “I know if a painting is working – practice also helps guide instinct… I would like my work to live on and I am conscious that people are buying works for investment.”

“I want to connect with the viewer by using colour and familiar motifs that are typically associated with the Australian environment. Exaggeration of space and elements create a theatrical representation of the landscape.”