Since John Young's first exhibition in 1979, Young’s work has been shown extensively in major exhibitions both in Australia and abroad, at institutions including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, and major public galleries and institutions throughout the world. His investigation of Western late modernism prompted significant phases of work from a bi-cultural viewpoint, including series of paintings in the last four decades – the Silhouette Paintings, The Polychrome Paintings, the Double Ground Paintings and the Abstract Paintings. More recently, the painter/sculptor has focused his work on transcultural humanitarianism.
John Young is originally from Hong Kong and now resides in Australia. His first solo exhibition in 1982 was held in a hamlet in the fishing village of Rosroe, Connemara, on the west coast of Ireland. Since then, he has had over 80 solo exhibitions and 160 group exhibitions, including representing Australia at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
He has also participated in many touring exhibitions representing Australia in NE and SE Asia, most recently at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. In 2005-06, a survey exhibition covering 27 years of works was held at the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Victoria, Australia. In 2013, a second survey exhibition was held in Canberra at the Australian National University Drill Hall Gallery. His fourth survey Diaspora, Psyche will be held this July at Bunjil Place, Victoria. Three monographs have been published on his practice.
Young’s ongoing investigation of Western late modernism has prompted significant phases of work from a transcultural viewpoint with a focus on the regional development in the Asia-Pacific. Young was the recipient of the Australia Council Visual Arts Fellowship in 2013 to research on the history of the Chinese Diaspora since 1840 in Australia, from which has emerged 12 years of projects - such as the design and construction of Open Monument - a permanent monument in recognition of the contribution of the Chinese to the city of Ballarat.
Over the last 12 years he has worked on two cycles of works The History Projects and the Abstract Paintings - of which Spectrumfigures is featured here. Young is collected by all national galleries around Australia, as well as important international museums such as M+, Hong Kong, and has permanent installations in Hong Kong, Nanjing, Tokyo and Bamburg. In 2020, he was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for outstanding services in the arts.