Al Poulet
“There are always infinite reasons to paint”
Al Poulet is an Australian abstract painter known for his energetic, gestural works inspired by the bushland surrounding his home in Wedderburn, New South Wales. A graduate of UNSW Art & Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) and a Master of Fine Arts, Poulet creates large-scale compositions using spray paint, acrylic, charcoal, and oil pastel. His practice is rooted in a physical and intuitive response to place, where layered marks and fluid gestures evoke emotional landscapes and a deep connection to nature. He has exhibited widely, including solo shows at Wagner Contemporary and Fox Galleries, and was awarded the Paddington Art Prize in 2018.
Poulet approaches painting as a spontaneous and immersive process, where movement and mark-making mirror the rhythms of walking, surfing, or meditating. Rather than planning or controlling outcomes, he embraces unpredictability—letting the act of painting guide the work. His canvases capture fleeting sensations and states of mind, offering viewers an experience that is both grounded in the Australian environment and universal in its emotional resonance.e
About the Artist
-
*1990, lives and works the Wedderburn artist community, NSW
2015-17 Master of Fine Arts, UNSW Art & Design, Sydney
2009-13 Bachelor of Fine Arts/Honours (Ist Class), College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Sydney
-
2024
Residency – Fox Galleries, Collingwood, VIC (October)
2023
The Spot – Wagner Contemporary, Sydney
(Untitled) Inner Horizon – Fox Galleries, Melbourne
2022
Untitled (Energy) – Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Wagner Contemporary, Sydney
Untitled (Rhythm Scribe) – Linton & Kay Galleries, Perth
2021
Cummings & Poulet – Penrith Regional Art Gallery (Curated by Toby Chapman)
2020
Untitled (W) – Wagner Contemporary, Paddington
2019
Al Poulet – Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Wagner Contemporary, Sydney
Abstraction: The Feeling of Being Inside – Wagner Contemporary, Paddington
2017
Smashed Screens – Delmar Gallery, Ashfield
Walk. Paint. (MFA Exhibition) – A&D Space, Paddington
2016
Off The Wall (Solo Exhibition) – Kudos Gallery, Paddington
2015
Painting as Performance – Archive Space, Newtown
2014
Woolloomooloo – Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney
Won’t Work – Kudos Gallery, Paddington
2013
Primary Consumer (Solo Exhibition) – Yours & Owls, Wollongong
Hong Kong Graphic Art Fiesta – Hong Kong
Mirror Mirror – Throwdown Press Residency Exhibition, COFAspace, Paddington
2012
Tomorrow Today (Honours Graduate Show) – COFA, Paddington
I Exist, I Insist – Kudos Gallery, Paddington
Death and Dystopia – Eastern Bloc, Rozelle
2011
COFA Annual (Arts and Australia Award) – Kensington
Kudos Annual Award (Highly Commended) – Kudos Gallery, Paddington
-
Awards
2024
The Kings Art Prize – Finalist
2023
Art Watch – Named one of Australia’s Top 100 Artists to Collect
Fisher’s Ghost Award – Finalist
2022
Fisher’s Ghost Award – Finalist
2020
Mosman Art Prize – Finalist, Sydney
2018
Paddington Art Prize – Winner, Sydney
Collections
Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River
Castle Cove House, Sydney
