Theo Koning

Theo Koning (1950-2022)

Theo Koning was born in the Netherlands and emigrated with his family to Australia aged three. He graduated in fine art at the Claremont Technical School in 1973, and in the same year became one of the founding members of the Western Australian Sculptors' Association.

Recipient of the Artsource Basel Exchange Residency in 2015, Theo was the #8 commissioned artist of the Mark Howlett Foundation in 2002, has exhibited regularly in Perth since the early 1970s, presenting over 20 solo exhibitions and participating in over 100 group exhibitions and awards. He’s an extremely active artist who works with lyricism, composition and wry humour in all he does.

Theo Koning's sculptural assemblages, created mainly from found objects and other people’s discards, explore the formal spatial concerns of abstract sculpture. Through a process of juxtaposition, addition and subtraction, employing stacking, balancing form and negative spaces, the materials form a relationship, creating lyrical compositions that are curious, sometimes whimsical, and often questioning.

His work is included in many prestigious public, corporate and private collections including the National Australian Gallery, Art Gallery of South Australia, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Artbank, BankWest, Parliament House Canberra, University of Western Australia, Murdoch University of Technology, Curtin University, Janet Holmes à Court Collection and Wesfarmers Arts.