MILAN MRKUSICH

During the 1950s he was a partner in the Auckland architectural and design firm Brenner Associates, working on a number of architectural commissions. In 1946, he painted the first abstract painting in New Zealand, and his paintings have remained consistently abstract ever since. The artists investigation of colour has been a lifelong pursuit, and he is known for the subtlety and delicacy of his surfaces.

His recent series include the Journeys, the Achromatic and Alchemical paintings, the Progressions and Untitled (dark) paintings. Major surveys of his work include a retrospective exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery, 1972, followed by Milan Mrkusich: A Decade Further On,1985. In 1982 he was included in the 48th Carnegie International exhibition in Pittsburgh. He was the major figure of the Auckland Art Gallery’s The 1950s Show,1992, where he was awarded a section of his own, as well as appearing in the design, architecture and painting sections. Milan Mrkusich: Six Journeys was shown at Auckland Art Gallery in 1995.

Mrkusich was made a Member of the Order of New Zealand in 1997 for his services to painting. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

Courtesy Hamish McKay