Jon Molvig studied at the East Sydney Technical College in Sydney (1947-1948), exhibiting with the Strath Art Group (1949-54). A confident and assured draftsman, Molvig was an expressionist artist, introduced to German Expressionism through his time in Europe from 1949-1952. Returning to work in Brisbane, by the mid-1950s Molvig was recognised for his confrontational and assertive figurative paintings.
Read MoreHis work is characterised by strong expressionist brushstrokes, bold lines and the revelation of the primeval nature of humanity’s behaviour. He became an important influence on a generation of Australian artists such as Andrew Sibley and John Acland. Molvig has been described as creating works whose subjects were uniquely Australian; Brisbane’s post-war bars and brothels, central Australia and its people, and memories of his life in industrial Newcastle. Typifying expressionist traditions, Molvig spoke infrequently about his art and identified in his real life with the alienated subjects of his work.
He received numerous awards, including the Lismore Prize (1955 and 1956), and the Archibald Portrait Prize ((1966). Acknowledged as a national figure in the development of the modern movement in Australia, his work is held in all major public collections in Australia.
