Henry Curchod is known for his large colourful figurative paintings, which capture moments that are typically impressionistic, sensorial and fleeting. His work reflects his diverse cultural background. The son of Kurdish-Iranian and Anglo-American parents, who grew up in Australia, his images reference a rich myriad of visual forms that are Asian, European and Oceanic in origin. There is an intimacy to many of his works, in terms of how they are composed—whirling ethereal scenes, often partial in view—and how his painted figures can appear unselfconscious and natural, suggesting a relationship with the artist or viewer that is familial and private. He is preoccupied with the romantic, and takes pleasure in illuminating the minutiae of life; idle moments of modest beauty that contain a natural poetry that can at times approach the profound. Rich in association—some contemporary, some traditional—the works themselves remain enigmatic and curious. He presents the viewer with a series of paradoxes: the new and the old, the grand and the slight, the flippant and the reverent, the quotidian and the miraculous. These are paintings that have the capacity to both enthral and confound. They delight with their beauty, their engagement with the romantic and the sensational, but they also don’t shy away from the gravity and untidiness of the real world.
Henry Curchod (b. 1992, Palo Alto, California, USA) currently lives and works in Sydney. Since graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales, his work has been exhibited in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. He was also the overall winner of the inaugural Belle ArtStart prize in 2017. He is presently working towards upcoming solo exhibitions in Australia, New Zealand and Italy.