Photo: Yandel Walton
Kenneth Craig Lambert
Born in //Hui !Gaeb 'Where the clouds gather' (Cape Town, South Africa)
Artist Statement
Kenneth Lambert’s experimental practice embraces disintegrated matter and the inexorable expressions that reflect the human condition.
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Lambert’s conceptual approach captures the contemporary zeitgeist by transposing themes found in science to illuminate current social issues and rising anxieties of our time. At the intersection of technology and the humanities, the artist’s investigations have led to works utilising particle acceleration to relate to climate change and data translation technology to investigate digital autonomy. Lambert’s cross-disciplinary practice encompasses digital, film, expanded drawing, painting, installation and performance.
With a professional background that encompasses museum and exhibition design and filmmaking, Lambert draws on diverse skills to thread through his artistic practice. Since 2016 he has regularly exhibited in solo and group shows with notable Australian ARIs and commercial galleries, including Artereal, Articulate project space. COMA and Galerie pompom. His work has been featured in award shows in Australia and the USA. In 2019 he was named Grand Prix Prize Winner of the One-Self competition, which resulted in his work Data Blue being featured at the Scope Art Fair in Miami. In Australia, he has been a finalist in the Churchie Emerging Artist Prize, The Alice Prize, Dobell Drawing Prize, Incinerator Gallery Prize - Art for Social Change, The Fisher’s Ghost Prize, Kilgour Art Prize, Lumen Art Prize and Mosan Art Prize.
He has participated in various various artist residencies across Europe and Australia. Most recently, he completed a 6-month self-directed residency with Amnesty International in Australia and the Bundanon Trust on the south coast of NSW, culminating in the development of my latest series, ‘Augmented Intervals.’ This new body of work is a testament to his ongoing exploration of themes that convey a sense of displacement deep into the natural environment.
Biography
Kenneth Lambert is a contemporary artist born in Cape Town, South Africa, who migrated to Australia at age 10 and settled in the western suburbs of Sydney. With a background in museums, design, and filmmaking, his conceptually driven practice resides at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, and technology. He frequently employs data and scientific methods to generate works across multiple disciplines, including physical and digital works, progressively realised as performative and installation works.
In 2001, he co-founded Ink, a creative company specialising in design and branding for broadcast media. As a creative lead, Lambert has developed numerous unique media brands, including SBS Studio and Foxtel Arts. His creative journey encompasses spatial design, starting as a museum designer (The Earth Exchange, Sydney, Australia, and the Museum of Creativity, Santa Monica, USA) and later transitioning into motion design and branding. In this role, he has created over 100 media brands across 12 countries and four continents.
In 2008, he established Sheepish Lion, a company specializing in storytelling content for film and video production. As an international designer and director, he has garnered over 150 awards for his creative excellence. His creativity has been displayed in museums, achieved “Best of Show” at local and international award shows, and featured in numerous creative-focused magazines, both online and in print.
Lambert leverages his diverse skills in his artistic practice, with a professional background that includes museum and exhibition design and filmmaking. Since 2016, he has exhibited regularly in solo and group shows with Australian ARI and commercial galleries, including Artereal, Articulate project space, COMA, and Galerie pompom. His work has been showcased in award shows in Australia, USA and the UK. In 2019, he was the Grand Prix Prize Winner of the One-Self competition, leading to his work Data Blue being featured at the Scope Art Fair in Miami. In Australia, he has been a finalist in the Churchie Emerging Artist Prize, The Alice Prize, the Dobell Drawing Prize, the Incinerator Gallery Prize - Art for Social Change, The Fisher’s Ghost Prize, the Kilgour Art Prize, the Mosan Art Prize, the Lumen Prize, Mullens Conceptual Photography Prize.
Lambert has also engaged in artist residency programs, receiving the 2018 Newington Armory Residency Prize. In 2019, he completed his first international residency at Arteles Creative Centre, Finland, and in 2021/22, he completed two consecutive residencies with the National Trust-NSW. In 2022, he developed an arts strategy for Amnesty International Australia through a self-directed residency. He also received grants from Creative Australia and CreateNSW for his project Stasis, a collaboration with STARTTS NSW, supported by Amnesty International and UNHCR. The exhibition was presented at Verge Gallery a 12-channel immersive installation featuring data portraits of youths conveying their experiences as asylum seekers and refugees in Australia. The project was showcased on SBS nightly news in conjunction with Agnès Callamard, the esteemed French human-rights activist and Secretary General of Amnesty International visit to Australia.
Artist CV
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Education
University of Western Sydney - Bachelor of Arts in Design (High Distinction)
Selected Solo Shows
2023 - Stasis, Verge Gallery, NSW, Australia
2022 - How Can You Sleep?, Old Government House, Burramatta, NSW, Australia
2021 - Geomorphic Abstractions, Woodford Academy, Blue Mountains, Australia
2020 - Incandescent Bloom, Artereal Gallery, Rozelle, Australia
2019 - Data Blue, Galerie Pompom, Chippendale, Australia
2018 - Debris, Wellington St. Projects, Chippendale, Australia
2018 - De-Interlaced, Articulate, Leichhardt, Australia
Selected Performances
2019 - ‘Forest Meditation’ Haukijärvi, Finland
2022 - ‘Where There is Smoke’ Cementa 22
2023 - ‘Adrift’ Drawing Installation, part of Draw, Articulate Project Space
Selected Group Shows
2023 - Draw, Group Show, Articulate, Liechhardt, Australia
2022 - Carnival Catastrophe, Cementa22, Kandos NSW, Australia
2021 - Blue Too, Wayout Regional Gallery, Kandos, NSW, Australia
2020 - Solo The Group Show, Articulate, Liechhardt, Australia
2020 - Kilgour Art Prize, Newcastle Art Gallery, Australia
2020 - Introversion Group Show, Articulate, Liechhardt, Australia
2020 - Modern Portraiture, Pamela Walsh Gallery, Palo Alto, USA
2019 - Art for Social Change, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2019 - Modify Prospect, COMA gallery, Darlinghurst, Australia
2018 - Materiality, Home@735, Redfern, Australia
2018 - Churchie Emerging Artist Prize, QUT, Brisbane, Australia
2018 - Hidden Sculpture Walk, Rookwood - Western Sydney, Australia
2018 - Hurford Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, Australia
2018 - 40th Alice Prize, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, Australia
2001 - Present
Creative Director & Co-founder @ Ink
Brand, design and media specialists, Sydney, Australia
Created over 120 unique brands across 12 countries, 4 continents
100+ International awards
1998 - 2000
Creative Director @ Garner Maclennan Design
Media and Visual effects for film and television, Sydney, Australia
8 International awards
1994 - 1997
Deputy Design Director @ Museum Of Creativity
Core foundation team, Museum Philosophy and Architecture
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, USA
1992 - 1994
Museum Exhibit Designer @ Earth Exchange Museum
Sydney, Australia
Residencies
2023 - Bundanon Artist Residency, Dhurawal Country, South Coast NSW
2022 - Amnesty International, Self Directed Residency, Sydney Australia
2022 - Old Government House, Barramatta, NSW, Australia
2021 - Woodford Academy, National Trust Property, Blue Mountains
2019 - Arteles, Haukijärvi, Finland
2018 - Newington Armory: Artist in Residence, Sydney Olympic Park
Lectures & Presentations
2023 - Dobell Drawing Prize, ‘Expanded Drawing’ Panel Talk, National Art School
2023 - ‘Open Circle’ & Synthetic Discord’ - Stasis Exhibition Program - Verge Gallery
2022 - National Art School - Sessional Lecturer
2022 - Amnesty International Australia Arts Program
2022 - Residue, Cementa22
2021 - Artist in Residence, Woodford Academy, Blue Mountains
2020 - Introversion Group Show, Group Artist Talk
2018 - 40th Alice Prize, Group Artist Talk
2018 - De-Interlaced, ‘We are Data’ Artist Talk
Selected Awards & Grants
2023 - Cullen’s Conceptual Photography Art Prize, Muswellrook Reginal Art Gallery- Finalist
2023 - Dobell Drawing Prize, Australia - Finalist
2022 - Mosman Art Prize, Australia - Finalist
2022 - Environmental Art & Design Prize, Manly Gallery, Australia - Finalist
2022 - Australia Council for the Arts - Individual Project Funding - Stasis
2022 - Create NSW - Individual Project Funding - Stasis
2021 - Lumen Prize, Art & Technology, Finalist, United Kingdom
2020 - Fishers Ghost Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW, Australia
2019 - Finalist, Blacktown City Art Prize, Western Sydney, Australia
2020 - Kilgour Art Prize, Newcastle Art Gallery, Australia
2019 - Finalist, Art for Social Change, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
2019 - Grand Prix Winner, See me, One self, NYC, USA
2018 - Finalist - Churchie QUT, Emerging Artist Prize, Brisbane, Australia
2018 - Winner, Newington Armory Award: Artist in Residence
2018 - Highly Commended, Hidden Sculpture walk - Rookwood, Western Sydney
2018 - Finalist - Hurford Portrait Prize, Lismore Regional Gallery, Australia
2018 - Finalist - 40th Alice Prize, Group Show, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs
Education
1991 - University of Western Sydney - Bachelor of Arts & Design (High Distinction)
Relevant Experience
1992 -1997: Museum Installations & Exhibit Design
1997 - Present: Film Production
2014 - Present: Experimental Sound Production
2016 - Present: Experimental Analog-Digital Drawing
Press + Publications
2023 - SBS News - 24 April 2023
2023 - Transitions - Issue #37 Feature Article
2023 - ‘Making your Mark’ Exhibition Essay by Dr Marryane Coutts, Dobell Drawing Prize
2022 - Insights of an Ecco Artist Magazine, Cover & Feature Article -
2022 - “Artist to Watch”, Art Connector
2020 - “Undiscovered”, Art Collector Issue #92, Australia
2020 - “The Shortlist”, Sydney Morning Herald Review, Australia
2019 - “SeeMe Artist of the Month” Tartarus Magazine, USA