Rick Hayward is a Meanjin/Brisbane based artist, maker, and signwriter with two decades experience working with his hands and a passion for craftsmanship. He has sought training from some of the world's finest traditional sign writers and furniture makers, and is translating this experience into a contemporary studio practice alongside various commercial and commissioned projects. Embracing traditional hand tools and techniques in both his studio and commissioned work, Hayward works primarily with wood, glass, and gold leaf culminating in finely crafted multi-dimensional works.
Hayward was awarded Student of the year at the internationally recognised Sturt School for Wood in 2023, and in 2024 he was a finalist in Wood Review Magazine’s ‘Maker of the Year’ prize and won the Wootha Prize - one of Australia’s most recognised woodworking prizes. In 2025 Hayward was selected for the inaugural residency partnership between craft institutions Artisan (Brisbane) and the JamFactory (Adelaide), with resulting work to be exhibited in 2026 at HOTA (Gold Coast).
Please contact for available work, commission enquiries, and invitations to exhibit.
Prizes
2024 Winner - Wootha Prize
2024 Finalist - Maker of the Year, Wood Review Magazine
Exhibitions
(Forthcoming) February 18-21, 2027 'Future Objekt', Melbourne Art Fair, VIC
(Current) July - Nov 2026 'Unleashed+' w/Artisan, HOTA, Gold Coast, QLD
2026 'Taking Shape' - w/WRAP, Melbourne Design Week, VIC
2025 Expo 2025 w/ Artisan, Osaka, Japan
2025 'Motion' - Adelaide Design Week, SA
2024 'Out of Office' - Waiting Room Gallery, Brisbane, QLD
2024 'Unleashed' - Artisan, Brisbane, QLD
2024 'Potato Salad' - Gladstone Rd Studios, Brisbane, QLD
2023 'Block Show' - Vacant Assembly, Brisbane, QLD
2023 Sturt School for Wood Graduate Exhibition, Mittagong, NSW
2021 'Mutual Intent' - Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane, QLD
2020 'SURFACE TENSION' - Brisbane Powerhouse, QLD (Solo)
2020 ‘REFUSE’ - The Third Quarter, Brisbane, QLD (Solo)
2019 'Boiling Point' - The Third Quarter, Brisbane, QLD
2019 ‘Trespass’ - Onwards Studio, Newcastle, NSW
2019 ‘Divergence’ - The Third Quarter, Brisbane, QLD
2018 'Less is more' - 1AMSF, San Francisco, CALIFORNIA
2016 'Louder than letters' - Goodspace, Sydney, NSW
2016 'The Apprenticeship' - Artisan, Brisbane, QLD
Public Artwork
2026 Queensland Rail commission, Banyo, QLD
2023 Queensland Rail commission, South Bank station, QLD
2021 Queensland Rail commission, Bald Hills, QLD
2020 Brisbane Powerhouse commission, New Farm, QLD
2019 Queensland Rail commission, Eagle Junction, QLD
2015 Brisbane Canvas project with Brisbane City Council, Fortitude Valley, QLD
Public Speaking
2025 - Wednesday Talk, JamFactory, Adelaide, SA
2018 - PechaKucha, Brisbane Powerhouse, QLD
2015 - The Design Conference, Brisbane Powerhouse, QLD
