Mark Whalen mixes everyday themes while merging industrial materials with found objects and studio reserves. Building relationships with iconic human shapes, color, and chromed elements, Whalen expands the narrative into vivid depictions of life’s folly. Sculptural storytelling is revealed as a stacking of disturbances, conundrums and entertaining questions about life and beyond. Mark Whalen’s contemporary work continues to expand architectural boundaries for interior and environmental applications.
Born in Sydney Australia in 1982, Whalen received his diploma of graphic design from Martin College, Sydney.
Whalen has been showing at galleries internationally since 2006 including exhibitions at National Gallery of Victoria, 2018; RMIT School of Art, Melbourne, 2013; National touring exhibition, National Gallery Of Australia, 2010-2011; Penrith Regional Gallery, Australia, 2010; Museum of Contemporary Art Macro, Rome,2009. His work is held in the collections of Artbank, National Gallery of Australia, and Mainland Art Fund.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
Squeeze, Edwina Corlette Gallery
Grab Bag, Arsham Fieg Gallery
2017
Pressure, Black Art projects, Melbourne Australia
Bindings, Pop68/Ruttowski 68, Cologne Germany
2016
Around The Bend, Chalk Horse Gallery Sydney
Collisions, Sanderson Contemporary
2015
Occupied, Emma Bett Gallery, Hobart
Trapezoid, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
Between the Cracks, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
Improper Fraction, Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney
2014
Peculiarities, Melbourne Art Fair - Black Art projects
Stranded, Merry Karnowsky gallery
2013
I’ll meet you in the middle, Blackartprojects at Future Perfect, Singapore
Maze Walkers, Blackartprojects at Chalk Horse, Sydney
2012
Hallucination, Melbourne Art Fair, Edwina Corlette Gallery
2011
One Moment Please, Gallery A.S, Sydney
Anomaly, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
White Out, Blackartprojects, Melbourne
2010
Observatory, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
2009
Supreme Beings, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Berlin
I’ll hit you up tomorrow, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
2008
Super Systems, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Berlin
Everything’s AOK, Until Never Gallery, Melbourne
2007
Kill Communication, Monster Children Gallery, Sydney
Bailbond, China Heights Gallery, Sydney
2006
Until Never Gallery, Melbourne
In the Woods, China Heights Gallery, Sydney, China Heights Gallery, Sydney
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018
The Rigg Prize, National Gallery of Victoria, Sophie Gannon Gallery & Flack Studio
Kronenberg Wright Projects
2017
MCA Art Bar, curated by Reko Rennie, Museum of contemporary
Figured out, Andrew Rafcaz gallery
2016
Immersion, Richard Heller Gallery
Project 16: The Agency of Things - Anna Pappas Gallery,
Art Central Hong Kong, Mark Whalen, Jasper Night, Dean Brown
2013
New Neon: Light, Painting & Photography, Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, California
Full Court Press, Artereal Gallery, Sydney
Glitterers Anonymous, RMIT School of Art, Melbourne
Fhloston Paradise, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
2012
Midnight on the Sun, Fecal Face, San Francisco
Portals, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
2011
STEP09 with Blackartprojects, Milan
Super Heroes, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
Merry Karnowsky 2 Projects, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
100, Langford 120 with Blackartprojects, Melbourne
Artpad, San Francisco, Merry Karnowsky Gallery
2010-11
Space Invaders, National touring exhibition, Australia
2010
Disorder, Disorder, Penrith Regional Gallery, Australia
2009
Apocalypse Wow, Museum of Contemporary Art Macro, Rome
The Mirror Stage, Monster Children Gallery, Sydney
Hard Left, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Berlin
Edwina Corlette Gallery, Brisbane
Out3, Mostra Internacional d'art Urba Publicitari, Barcelona
2008
Small Gems, Metro 5 Gallery, Melbourne
Subliminal Projects, Park Life Gallery, San Francisco
Mark Whalen and Cleon Peterson, White Walls Gallery, San Francisco
Mark Whalen and Ryan Shaffer, Park Life Gallery, San Francisco
The Alternative Philosophy, Leonard Street Gallery, London
Hard Left, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Los Angeles
Welcome Home, Fecal face
High Math, Pool Gallery, Berlin
2007
Replace ‘please’ with ‘fast’ and ‘thank you’ with ‘good’,The Lab 101 Gallery, Los Angeles
Fecal Face 7.5 Anniversary, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco
Across the Board, Wall Space Gallery, Sydney
Bootlegger, Until Never Gallery, Melbourne
Refill Seven, MTV Gallery Mini Pieces, Melbourne Museum
2006
Sixteen x Twelve, Monster Children Gallery, Sydney
All Style City, China Heights Gallery, Sydney
Semi-permanent, The Breadbox Gallery
What the fuck?, Monster Children Gallery, Sydney
ART FAIRS
2018
Chicago Expo, Richard Heller Gallery
Dallas Art Fair, Richard heller Gallery
Sydney Contempoary, Edwina Corlette Gallery
2016
Art Central Hong Kong, Chalk Horse Gallery
Auckland Art Fair, Sanderson Contemporary
2014
Scope Miami, Chalk Horse Gallery
Melbourne Art Fair, Black Art Projects
2013
Melbourne Art Fair, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Melbourne
2012
Melbourne Art Fair, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Melbourne
Art Miami, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Miami
2011
STEP09, Blackartprojects, Milan
2010
Melbourne Art Fair, Edwina Corlette Gallery, Melbourne
2009
Aqua Art Miami, Whitewalls Gallery, Miami
2008
Berliner Liste for Contemporary Art, Merry Karnowsky Gallery, Berlin
COLLECTIONS
Artbank
National Gallery of Australia
Mainland Art Fund