As an established Brisbane creative, Rick Hayward translates 18 years of traditional sign-writing and 9 years of collaborative public art as a contemporary studio and public art practice alongside his commercial projects. 

 

In response to his commercial background, Hayward navigates the space between craftsman and artist with environmental and anthropological attentiveness. The Artist's practice is built on observation and documentation, research and reflection, and spans large scale murals to studio works utilising skills and materials practiced in traditional sign-writing.

 

Reductive collagic compositions referencing post-painterly abstraction, through to typographic works grounded in his understanding of commercial sign writing, Hayward's work represents a fluid intertextuality between commercial and contemporary realms.

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Excerpt from ‘Divergence’ 2019 exhibition essay by Curator Sophie Kubler -

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“Hayward’s contemplation of the intersections between the realms of natural and human, resonates

across the show and in many ways, serves as an underlying goal. As humans globally are closer than

ever to facing the consequences of climate change and the effects of the man-made age of the

Anthropocene, the idea of embracing ‘slow’ philosophy and rebuilding communities and economies with an emphasis on hand-made and locally produced is growing. Amidst this conscious, societal change, it is important to situate the works of this artist, whose highly skilled-based practices, acquired

traditionally and practiced authentically, in a socially and environmentally conscious context.”

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Exhibitions

2020 ‘R E F U S E’ - The Third Quarter, Brisbane

2019 ‘Trespass’ - Onwards Studio, Newcastle

2019 ‘Divergence’ - The Third Quarter, Brisbane

2018 'Less is more' - 1AMSF, San Francisco

2016 'Louder than letters' - Goodspace, Sydney

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Commercial Clients

Westfield

ARIA

Brisbane City Council

Balter Brewers

Gold Coast City Council

Pacific Fair

Lendlease

Robina Town Centre

Queensland Rail

Features

'On Process' podcast

NAVA's Artist Files

No Cure Magazine

Frankie Magazine 'SPACES'

Etihad Airline's Atlas Magazine

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Public Speaking

Design Stories

The Design Conference

PetchaKutcha

AGDA’s 'First Five Out'