Prize Winning Assemblage Art, Painting, Sculpture, Prints and Installation Art by John Dahlsen
Title: “Thong Totems”
Date: 2000
Medium: Stainless steel, steel and found objects ( rubber thongs )
Size: 2.2m (h) x 30cm (w) each ( 5 in total )
Winner of the 2000 ‘Wynne’ Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW
Title: “Blue River”
Date: 2003
Medium: Recycled plastic bags behind perspex
Size: 2 m (h) x 1.2 m (w)
Finalist in the 2003 ‘Wynne’ Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW
A selection of works selected either as a finalist, or representative of Australia at prominent International exhibitions, or the winner of a prestigious prize.
Nationally regarded in Australia, as an award winning artist, John Dahlsen won the prestigious Wynne prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2000 and was selected as a finalist in 2003 and again in 2004.
In 2006 he was a finalist in the Sulman Award at the Art Gallery of NSW. He has won several grants from various funding bodies, as well as winning other significant aquisitive and non aquisitive art prizes.
John was selected to be a cultural ambassador for Australia, by an international jury, to represent Australia at the Athens Olympics of Visual Arts ‘Artiade’ Exhibition 2004, held during August/September.
In late 2003 he exhibited at the Florence Biennale of Contemporary art, and won a prestigious award for mixed media/new media.
He was the first Australian artist to be commissioned by Absolut for their ‘Absolut Art’ series. With this commission, Dahlsen was chosen to join the
ranks of such renowned international artists as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Francesco Clemente and Damien Hirst whom have all been commissioned to create
artworks by V & S Absolut Spirits, Sweden.
In December 2006 John was 2nd prizewinner in Australia’s richest prize: “The Signature of Sydney Art Prize”
John was awarded in 2009, the Swell Sculpture Exhibition “Dux” Environmental Art Award, Currumbin, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
In July 2010, he won the Peoples Choice Award in the ArtsCape Biennial Sculpture Exhibition. Byron Bay, NSW Australia.
2010 saw John win for the 2nd time running, the Swell Sculpture Exhibition “Dux” Environmental Art Award, Currumbin, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
Appointed “Cultural Ambassador” for Friends of the United Nations, on World Environment Day June 6th 2011.
Invited by the United Nations in 2012 to write an essay for the Rio+20 Conference.
Awarded a Churchill Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Foundation 2014
2015 Awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA). Charles Darwin University
2015 Awarded the Nancy (Nan) Giese Doctoral Scholarship in the Arts. Charles Darwin University
Finalist 2018 BAM Inaugural art Prize, Thom Gallery Byron Bay NSW
Title: “Pastel Series” (9 Panels)
Date: 2003
Medium: Found objects behind perspex
Size: 44 cm (h) x 44 cm (w) each
Represented Australia at the 2003 Florence Biennial
Received award for New Media/Mixed Media
Title: Driftwood Assemblage # 1(Diptych)
Date: 2004
Size: (a)101cms (h) x 194 cms (w)
(b) 60 cms (h) x 194 cms)(w)
Medium: Found objects (driftwood) on plywood.
Finalist in the 2004 ‘Wynne’ Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW
Pink Shard
Co-winner of the Regional Artist award at the
2005 Thursday Plantation East Coast Sculpture Show.
Light Blue Purge Painting
Finalist in the 2006 Sulman Prize
at the Art Gallery of NSW
Title: “Primary Digital Prints on Canvas” (Triptych)
Date: 2003
Medium: Digital prints on canvas
Size: 3 x 2 m (h) x 1 m (w)
Artwork selected to represent Australia at the Athens Olympics ‘Artiade’ Exhibition 2004
Signature of Sydney 2006 Art Prize
In December 2006 Byron Bay artist, John Dahlsen was awarded the runner up prize of $20,000.00 in Australia’s then newest, and richest art award, The Signature of Sydney Art Prize.
In an article titled “Artwork Has Soul”, Lismore Regional Gallery Director, Steven Alderton wrote: “John Dahlsen’s “Thongs” artwork is about people community and soul. The work could be seen as people portraying the many people from all walks of life that have landed on the East coast of Australia and found their way to Sydney, mixing together to form one great big heap just like Sydney.
The beauty of this work is you can see the soul of Sydneysiders. Many people living on the coast define themselves with the beach lifestyle. It is their passion.The havianas, or thongs, have become part of the laidback look of much of Sydney. Dahlsen’s artworks have long been made from detritius found on the beach. By presenting the discarded objects in a formalist composition he acknowledges the endless waste in producing multiple items, that go to support our everyday existance.”
Northern Star Newspaper – December 16th 2006
Awards and Achievements:
2021 Finalist Kilgour Prize 2021 for portraiture and figurative painting. Newcastle Art Gallery NSW.
2021 Finalist – Fishers Ghost Art Award Campbelltown Arts Centre Campbelltown NSW
2019 Finalist “Now Contemporary Art Award” at the Shoalhaven Regional Art Gallery NSW.
2018 Finalist BAM Inaugural Art Prize, Thom Gallery Byron Bay NSW.
2017 Awarded Doctor of Philosophy, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory. Australia
2016 Awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA). Charles Darwin University
2016 Awarded the Nancy (Nan) Giese Doctoral Scholarship in the Arts. Charles Darwin University
2015 Awarded an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA). Charles Darwin University
2015 Awarded the Nancy (Nan) Giese Doctoral Scholarship in the Arts. Charles Darwin University
2015 Appointed Associate Editor for the The International Journal of the Image.
2014 Churchill Fellowship recipient: The Winston Churchill Foundation 2014
2014 Appointed Associate Editor in The International Journal of Diverse Identities
2014 Awarded Graduate Scholar Award Arts and Humanities Conference Rome Italy
2014 Appointed Associate Editor for the International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts and Responses.
2013 Appointed Ambassador for “Project Upcycle” Art Campaign July 2013
2013 Appointed Associate Editor: The International Journal of Diverse Identities
2013 Offered Doctorate (PhD Candidature) Charles Darwin University N.T. Australia
2012 Invited by the United Nations to write an essay for the Rio+20 Conference
2011 Appointed ‘Cultural Ambassador’ for Friends of the United Nations, on World Environment Day. June 6th
2010 Swell Sculpture Festival and Exhibition – “Dux” Environmental Art Award, Currumbin QLD Australia
2010 ArtsCape Biennial Sculpture Exhibition. Peoples Choice Award. NSW Australia
2009 Swell Sculpture Festival and Exhibition – “Dux” Environmental Art Award, Currumbin QLD Australia
2008 Awarded North Stonington Education Foundation USA Certificate of Appreciation
2006 Finalist: Sulman Prize for Genre Painting – Art Gallery of N.S.W. Sydney, Australia
2006 “The Signature Of Sydney Prize” – Australias richest art prize. 2nd prize winner. December 2006
2006 Finalist: Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award
2006 Finalist Greenpeace Art 4 Action 2006 – ‘Changing Nature’ The Gallery at Darling Park Sydney
2006 Export Market Development Grant. Australian Government ‘Austrade’
2006 Semi Finalist: Signature of Sydney Art Prize
2006 Mosman Art Prize Finalist
2005 Awarded Senate Proclamation, Jefferson City, State of Missouri, USA
2005 Regional Artist Award: East Coast Sculpture Show – Thursday Plantation, NSW
2005 Export Market Development Grant. Australian Government ‘Austrade’
2004 Awarded the role as Cultural Ambassador for Australia at the Athens “Olympics Of Visual Arts” Artiade Exhibition
2004 Export Market Development Grant. Australian Government ‘Austrade’
2004 Finalist: Wynne Prize for Sculpture & Landscape – Art Gallery of N.S.W. Sydney, Australia
2003 Florence Biennial of Contemporary Art – Award for mixed media/new media
2003 Finalist: Wynne Prize for Sculpture & Landscape – Art Gallery of N.S.W. Sydney, Australia
2003 NSW Ministry for the Arts Cultural Grant: Visual Arts and Crafts: Coffs Harbor Regional Art Gallery
2003 Earth Champion Nominee: Athena Foundation
2001 Highly Commended: East Coast Sculpture Show Thursday Plantation, NSW
2000 Winner of the Wynne Prize for Sculpture & Landscape – Art Gallery of N.S.W. Sydney, Australia
2000 Official Artist of the New Millennium for the Environmental organizations ‘Clean Up Australia’ & “Clean up the World”
2000 N.S.W. Ministry for the Arts grant Australia
1998 Highly Commended: East Coast Sculpture Show Thursday Plantation, NSW
1991 Artrage Festival Subsidy Funding
1991 Pat Corrigan artist grant
1991 Winner of the Geraldton-Greenough Acquisitive Art Award
1990 WA Department for the Arts Grant
1976 Xavier College Open Art Award
1976 Cann River Open Art Prize, Gippsland, Victoria Australia.
Recycled Plastic Bag Installation Jefferson City USA 2005
Awarded Missouri Senate Proclamation