George Haynes

George Haynes is one of Western Australia’s most respected painters, with a career spanning more than six decades.

Born in Kenya and trained at Chelsea School of Art in London, Haynes arrived in Western Australia in 1962 and has since played a pivotal role in shaping the state’s contemporary art landscape.

His work is renowned for its luminous use of colour and acute sensitivity to light, capturing everyday life, interiors and landscapes with a distinctive sense of atmosphere and rhythm. A master of colour, tone and composition, Haynes’ paintings often possess a musical quality, where subtle shifts in hue and structure create a sense of movement and harmony.

Haynes has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and internationally, and his work is held in major public and private collections, reflecting his longstanding influence and contribution to Australian painting.

He is also widely recognised as an influential teacher and mentor, shaping generations of artists through his teaching practice and studio-based guidance.

In 2023, Art Collective WA published the monograph ‘George Haynes: In Search of Painting’, a comprehensive volume documenting his six-decade career and contribution to Australian art.

In 2026, Art Collective WA presented Skyland, a major exhibition of new paintings that continues Haynes’ exploration of light, colour and the poetics of everyday experience.

Now in his late 80s, Haynes continues to paint with energy and curiosity, maintaining a dynamic studio practice that reflects ongoing observation and engagement with the world around him. His work remains grounded in close observation, translating lived experience into compositions that are both immediate and enduring.

George Haynes' work resides in the most prestigious private and public collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Artbank, Bankwest, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University.

'George Haynes: In Search of Painting', an artist monograph, features essays by eminent arts writers John McDonald (Art Critic, Sydney Morning Herald) and Sally Quin (Curator, University of Western Australia Art Collection). The 200-page book illustrates George’s art career with over 150 colour photographs. Available to order online via our publications page or at the gallery.