Adam Cullen was one of the most important Australian artists of his generation. Associated with the Sydney grunge art scene in the 1990s and best known for his bold and challenging paintings, Cullen used satire and social allegory to encapsulate insightful yet confronting views of contemporary existence.

The artist’s vibrant and expressive paintings often contain subject matter exploring the darker aspects of the human condition, always portrayed in unique and provocative ways. The works revolve around issues of national and gendered identity, addressing racial intolerance, bigotry, sexism and political and social hypocrisies.

In this survey of Adam Cullen’s career, Max Germanos of 3:33 Art Projects has carefully selected around 40 paintings, in addition to works on paper and sculptures. Just over ten years since Adam Cullen’s death, this exhibition is an opportunity to reflect upon the artist’s extraordinary body of work and on his enduring legacy. Drawn from private collections and rarely seen for over a decade, the exhibition has been developed with the support of the Adam Cullen Estate.

Born in Sydney in 1965, Adam Cullen grew up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. In 2000, he won the Archibald Prize with a portrait of actor David Wenham. In 2002, he represented Australia at the 25th Biennale de São Paulo, and in 2008, a major survey exhibition of his work, Let’s get lost, was held at the Art Gallery of NSW.