Chris Hopewell

Born in the Western Australian Wheatbelt town of Northam, Chris Hopewell studied a BA in Fine Art at WAIT (Curtin University of Technology). Following his studies, he spent two decades in New York, continuing his art practice while working as an art director in film.

Chris Hopewell’s artistic practice is centred on capturing the flux of movement and energy through successive layers, each tracing the evolving journey of a painting’s creation. Completed compositions serve as time capsules; a vessel to explore and engage with the unfathomable elements of existence.

The process begins with arbitrary environments formed through random drawings and photo collages, establishing spatial perspectives. Spontaneous marks and gestures interact with and obscure earlier layers. Progression is instinctive and immediate, often manifesting as destructive, graffiti-like interventions over earlier iterations.

Through repeated cycles, compositions undergo phases of emergence, dissolution, and rebirth. The distortion of layered sequences and fragmented remnants becomes central to the work. Material qualities – speed, consistency, and timing – merge with intuition to guide the composition’s dynamic transformation.

Amid this abstraction, recurring anthropomorphic forms surface, weaving threads of familiarity within chaotic landscapes. These repeated motifs provide a sense of personal solace, spiritually linking the unconscious to the present and confronting the mysteries of existence, echoing how early cultures used symbolic repetition to navigate life’s enigmas.

Chris Hopewell's work is held in many collections, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Bankwest, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, the Kerry Stokes Collection, and Wesfarmers.