Salvatore Zofrea is an accomplished artist who has been featured at the at the Art Gallery of NSW, among several other exhibitions.
Decades of dedication to the arts
Painter and printmaker Salvatore Zofrea was born in Italy, arriving in Australia in 1956 at the age of nine. After leaving school and working for several years, he attended the Julian
Ashton Art School and over the past 40 years, has held solo exhibitions throughout Australia and internationally in Rome. His work has also been featured in group exhibitions at the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW.
Zofrea’s large commissioned works include his ‘150 Years of the Sydney Morning Herald’ mural (1979), the State Bank of New South Wales mural (1985) and a fresco for theSydney Opera House Trust (1993).
In 1979, Zofrea’s ‘Psalm23’ was acquired by the Vatican, Rome, for its collection. In 1982, he received a Power Bequest award of sixth months’ residence in Paris, and a Churchill Fellowship in 1986 to study fresco technique in Florence with the master of fresco restoration, Leonetto Tintori.
Zofrea has won the Sulman Prize three times and is a many-times finalist in the Archibald and Wynne prizes. In 1992 the late Art Gallery of NSW director, Edmund Capon, arranged for a selection of Zofrea’s ‘Psalms’ series to be displayed in the Art Gallery of NSW and to tour NSW regional art galleries.
In 1996 he was made a cavaliere (knight) by the Italian Government for services to the arts, and from 1994 to 1999 he created the ‘Appassionata’ series of 100 autobiographical woodcuts, exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW, and touring nationally prior to being acquired by the Gallery.
In 2000, the National Portrait Gallery of Australia exhibited his ‘50 Portraits’ which then toured NSW regional galleries. In 2014, Zofrea was awarded an Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the arts.
Seven monographs on his life and work have been produced and four films, including Richard Mordaunt’s ‘Salvatore Zofrea – Master of Light’ (2016).
For more amazing exhibitions, events and festivals, check out our gig guide.
