Harley Manifold was born in Camperdown, Victoria in 1982. In 2003 he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Deakin University in Warrnambool. He then went onto complete his Honours in Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts as the only non alumni in his year. He has been included in numerous Art prizes and group exhibitions. On three occasions he has been a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize (2015, 2017 & 2021) as well as the Salon Des Refuses of the Archibald and Wynne Prize (2016, 2019, 2021, 2024). And most recently The Darling Portrait Prize.
Initially inspired after returning from Hong Kong to Torquay and feeling isolated and alone after being amid such a frenzy of life in Asia, the last 12 months of paintings document a move to the country – and finding a calmer pace of living. Unintentionally the figures have left the paintings in the recent nocturnal paintings of Warrnambool – Manifold’s new home. There is a quiet calm that emanates from the dimly lit landscapes. The Protagonist is no longer the centre of attention.
The titles of the current paintings come from conversations overheard by Manifold while walking in public being inspired. The images themselves could be seen from an everyday walk to and from work, a glimpse down a lane way, a glance over a shoulder. They are the everyday moments that most often don’t take our notice. The everyday becomes immortalized in paint, small intimate shrines to the place and its inhabitants. It’s quite likely that people might recognise themselves in these paintings or the overheard conversations as they are the people that Manifold encountered while exploring.
I explore the landscape both physically and mentally. I am fascinated by the simplest way light interacts with a form—how it hits, bounces off, and reveals what’s in front of us. The sheer wonder of this physical phenomenon captivates me. It’s something so complex, yet so often taken for granted. In this understanding, I find beauty in the banal objects and liminal spaces that hold my attention. Light and shade. I imagine Monet would have been thrilled by the possibilities of modern lighting.
For me, dusk turning to night is a time for reflection. As the harsh light of the day fades, so too does its stimulation, replaced by a softer, quieter brightness.
But for me, a landscape is more than just light and shade. It’s the objects within it, the experiences we have with them, and the way our relationships with these objects are shaped by our histories. We contextualize them through our narratives.
Take road signs, for instance. What do you see? Can you read them? They’re about the height of a person, and some are roughly the same width.
The road itself is a place where many people, especially in the country, spend countless hours—day, night, and everything in between. It’s where a lot of thinking gets done. Decisions are made, unmade, and remade. There’s something profound about the reflective space created by driving: one part of your mind focuses on the task, while the rest is free to wander. Imagine the weighty, life-changing decisions that have been made out here on the road.
Petrol stations have fascinated me for a long time. I’ve started calling them “relief stations.” They’re places to pause—to take a break, stretch, grab food, use the bathroom, and reset. They offer a chance to change the pace, reread the map, reassess the direction, and decide how to move forward. Every journey needs these moments: to stop, think, and feel—or maybe just one of those. And then, to move again.
Sometimes you need to think. Sometimes you need to feel.
The context of my work is mine. But when the pieces are on the wall, that context shifts to you—your experiences, your interpretations, and the stories the paintings evoke for you. My titles come from things I’ve overheard people say. Sometimes I know their context, other times I don’t. I’ve always found it fascinating how we use words. I’ve realized that I listen as much as I look. When someone says something, does how they say it matter more than what they say? Similarly, in my paintings, does how I paint something matter more than what I paint?
Look at the edges—the edges of objects, signs, or road lines. They’re important, both literally and figuratively. If you can’t read a sign, see a solid object, or stay within the road lines… well, that’s significant. And no, this isn’t just about me struggling to color between the lines in primary school. Or maybe it is.
My practice continues to be site responsive. The works are a celebrating of place and stories. My personal story is woven quietly into the works which allows the viewer to engage with their own narrative resonating.
HARLEY MANIFOLD CV
BORN: Camperdown, Vic. 1982
EDUCATION:
2010 Victorian College of the Arts. Fine Arts Honours
2003 Deakin University Bachelor of Arts – Visual Arts
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2024 “4 Eva”, Milk Shed Studio
2023 Same Places New Faces, New Faces Same Places, Mario’s Fitzroy Melbourne
2019 The Neighbours, YAVA Gallery Healesville
2019 Gateway City, Boom Gallery Geelong
2018 20/20 Plein Air Paintings in 20 Days, Flinders Lane Gallery Melbourne
2018 The Dichotomist, QDOS Arts Lorne
2017 A Strange Dance, No Vacancy Gallery Melbourne
2016 End, Bridge 38
2015 Contained, RUBICON ARI
2015 C L O S E, Gallery Smith Project Space
2014 INFINITY, No Vacancy Gallery
2013 Pea Green Boat Gallery, Brunswick
2013 Maddens Lawyers Gallery, Warrnambool
2012 Pea Green Boat Gallery, Brunswick
2012 Judy Antill Gallery, Portland
2010 Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
2008 Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
2008 Kidogo Art House, Fremantle
2005 Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
2005 Warrnambool Art Gallery
2003 Deakin University
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 TRAILS Small sculpture Award (winner)
2025 Flanagan Art Prize. Ballarat
2024 Salon Des Refuses of the Wynne Landscape Prize, Sydney
2024 National Emerging Artists Prize, Sydney
2024 Heysen Landscape Award, Hahndorf
2024 Southern Ocean Art Prize, Robe
2024 The John Leslie Landscape Award, Gippsland Regional Gallery
2023 Milk Shed Gallery, Camperdown
2022 The John Leslie Landscape Award, Gippsland Regional Gallery
2022 The Darling Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery of Australia
2022 The Len Fox Prize, Castlemaine Art Museum
2021 Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Sydney
2020 Salon Des Refuses – Archibald Prize, Sydney
2020 Salon Des Refuses – Wynne Landscape Prize, Sydney
2020 Tarawill Group Show
2020 Warnibald Prize, Warrnambool
2020 “Views from the West”, The F project Gallery
2019 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize Semi – Finalist, Sydney
2019 Coaster Show, Warrnambool
2019 Tarawil Group Show, Golden Plains
2018 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize Semi – Finalist, Sydney
2018 Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong
2018 Asia Contemporary Art Fair, Hong Kong
2018 Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Brisbane
2018 Kennedy Prize Finalist, Adelaide
2018 Formed On The Plains, Melbourne
2017 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Sydney
2017 Flanagan Art Prize, Ballarat
2017 The Other Art Fair, Sydney
2017 H.S. Gallery Group Show, Torquay
2017 Bayside Brighton Art Prize, Melbourne
2017 The Other Art Fair, Melbourne
2017 Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham
2017 ‘Whisper’ The Lost Ones gallery, Ballarat
2017 Tarawill Group Show
2016 ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’ Maryborough Regional Gallery
2016 Salon Des Refuses of The Archibald Prize, Sydney
2016 SCOPE galleries Environmental prize, Warrnambool
2016 Lorne Sculpture Biennale
2015 Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Sydney
2015 Imago Mundy, Venice Biennale, Italy
2015 Flinders Lane Gallery ‘Exploration 15’
2015 Bridge 38 group show
2014 Cliftons Art Prize Melbourne WINNER
2014 M Contemporary Art Award
2014 Mars Gallery W.T.C. Emerging Sculptors
2014 SCOPE Galleries Environmental Prize
2014 Gallipoli Art Prize
2014 Golden Plains Arts Trail
2014 Rick Amor Drawing Prize Finalist, Ballarat
2013 Pop up Art Bar, North Melbourne
2013 ANL Maritime Art Prize
2012 Metro Award Exhibition
2012 Art Felt Exhibition N.S.W.
2012 Brunswick Street Gallery Small Works Prize
2012 Ilhanvale Group Show, Brunswick
2011 Warrnambool Gallery
2011 Brunswick Art Show
2011 Metro Art Award
2009 BROPHY House – Creative Design
2009 Metro 5 Award
2008 The Black Dog Project – Book, Logo Design & Art Direction
2006 Swan Hill National Print Award
2006 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2005 Head On Contemporary Portrait Prize, Sydney
2005 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2003 Photography of the South West. Miura, Japan
AWARDS
Harley Manifold was born in Camperdown, Victoria in 1982. In 2003 he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Deakin University in Warrnambool. He then went onto complete his Honours in Fine Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts as the only non alumni in his year. He has been included in numerous Art prizes and group exhibitions. On three occasions he has been a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize (2015, 2017 & 2021) as well as the Salon Des Refuses of the Archibald and Wynne Prize (2016, 2019, 2021, 2024). And most recently The Darling Portrait Prize.
Initially inspired after returning from Hong Kong to Torquay and feeling isolated and alone after being amid such a frenzy of life in Asia, the last 12 months of paintings document a move to the country – and finding a calmer pace of living. Unintentionally the figures have left the paintings in the recent nocturnal paintings of Warrnambool – Manifold’s new home. There is a quiet calm that emanates from the dimly lit landscapes. The Protagonist is no longer the centre of attention.
The titles of the current paintings come from conversations overheard by Manifold while walking in public being inspired. The images themselves could be seen from an everyday walk to and from work, a glimpse down a lane way, a glance over a shoulder. They are the everyday moments that most often don’t take our notice. The everyday becomes immortalized in paint, small intimate shrines to the place and its inhabitants. It’s quite likely that people might recognise themselves in these paintings or the overheard conversations as they are the people that Manifold encountered while exploring.
I explore the landscape both physically and mentally. I am fascinated by the simplest way light interacts with a form—how it hits, bounces off, and reveals what’s in front of us. The sheer wonder of this physical phenomenon captivates me. It’s something so complex, yet so often taken for granted. In this understanding, I find beauty in the banal objects and liminal spaces that hold my attention. Light and shade. I imagine Monet would have been thrilled by the possibilities of modern lighting.
For me, dusk turning to night is a time for reflection. As the harsh light of the day fades, so too does its stimulation, replaced by a softer, quieter brightness.
But for me, a landscape is more than just light and shade. It’s the objects within it, the experiences we have with them, and the way our relationships with these objects are shaped by our histories. We contextualize them through our narratives.
Take road signs, for instance. What do you see? Can you read them? They’re about the height of a person, and some are roughly the same width.
The road itself is a place where many people, especially in the country, spend countless hours—day, night, and everything in between. It’s where a lot of thinking gets done. Decisions are made, unmade, and remade. There’s something profound about the reflective space created by driving: one part of your mind focuses on the task, while the rest is free to wander. Imagine the weighty, life-changing decisions that have been made out here on the road.
Petrol stations have fascinated me for a long time. I’ve started calling them “relief stations.” They’re places to pause—to take a break, stretch, grab food, use the bathroom, and reset. They offer a chance to change the pace, reread the map, reassess the direction, and decide how to move forward. Every journey needs these moments: to stop, think, and feel—or maybe just one of those. And then, to move again.
Sometimes you need to think. Sometimes you need to feel.
The context of my work is mine. But when the pieces are on the wall, that context shifts to you—your experiences, your interpretations, and the stories the paintings evoke for you. My titles come from things I’ve overheard people say. Sometimes I know their context, other times I don’t. I’ve always found it fascinating how we use words. I’ve realized that I listen as much as I look. When someone says something, does how they say it matter more than what they say? Similarly, in my paintings, does how I paint something matter more than what I paint?
Look at the edges—the edges of objects, signs, or road lines. They’re important, both literally and figuratively. If you can’t read a sign, see a solid object, or stay within the road lines… well, that’s significant. And no, this isn’t just about me struggling to color between the lines in primary school. Or maybe it is.
My practice continues to be site responsive. The works are a celebrating of place and stories. My personal story is woven quietly into the works which allows the viewer to engage with their own narrative resonating.
HARLEY MANIFOLD CV
BORN: Camperdown, Vic. 1982
EDUCATION:
2010 Victorian College of the Arts. Fine Arts Honours
2003 Deakin University Bachelor of Arts – Visual Arts
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2024 “4 Eva”, Milk Shed Studio
2023 Same Places New Faces, New Faces Same Places, Mario’s Fitzroy Melbourne
2019 The Neighbours, YAVA Gallery Healesville
2019 Gateway City, Boom Gallery Geelong
2018 20/20 Plein Air Paintings in 20 Days, Flinders Lane Gallery Melbourne
2018 The Dichotomist, QDOS Arts Lorne
2017 A Strange Dance, No Vacancy Gallery Melbourne
2016 End, Bridge 38
2015 Contained, RUBICON ARI
2015 C L O S E, Gallery Smith Project Space
2014 INFINITY, No Vacancy Gallery
2013 Pea Green Boat Gallery, Brunswick
2013 Maddens Lawyers Gallery, Warrnambool
2012 Pea Green Boat Gallery, Brunswick
2012 Judy Antill Gallery, Portland
2010 Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
2008 Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
2008 Kidogo Art House, Fremantle
2005 Collins Street Gallery, Melbourne
2005 Warrnambool Art Gallery
2003 Deakin University
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 Milk Shed Studio Group Show
2025 TRAILS Small sculpture Award (winner)
2025 Flanagan Art Prize. Ballarat
2024 Salon Des Refuses of the Wynne Landscape Prize, Sydney
2024 National Emerging Artists Prize, Sydney
2024 Heysen Landscape Award, Hahndorf
2024 Southern Ocean Art Prize, Robe
2024 The John Leslie Landscape Award, Gippsland Regional Gallery
2023 Milk Shed Gallery, Camperdown
2022 The John Leslie Landscape Award, Gippsland Regional Gallery
2022 The Darling Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery of Australia
2022 The Len Fox Prize, Castlemaine Art Museum
2021 Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Sydney
2020 Salon Des Refuses – Archibald Prize, Sydney
2020 Salon Des Refuses – Wynne Landscape Prize, Sydney
2020 Tarawill Group Show
2020 Warnibald Prize, Warrnambool
2020 “Views from the West”, The F project Gallery
2019 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize Semi – Finalist, Sydney
2019 Coaster Show, Warrnambool
2019 Tarawil Group Show, Golden Plains
2018 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize Semi – Finalist, Sydney
2018 Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong
2018 Asia Contemporary Art Fair, Hong Kong
2018 Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Brisbane
2018 Kennedy Prize Finalist, Adelaide
2018 Formed On The Plains, Melbourne
2017 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Sydney
2017 Flanagan Art Prize, Ballarat
2017 The Other Art Fair, Sydney
2017 H.S. Gallery Group Show, Torquay
2017 Bayside Brighton Art Prize, Melbourne
2017 The Other Art Fair, Melbourne
2017 Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham
2017 ‘Whisper’ The Lost Ones gallery, Ballarat
2017 Tarawill Group Show
2016 ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’ Maryborough Regional Gallery
2016 Salon Des Refuses of The Archibald Prize, Sydney
2016 SCOPE galleries Environmental prize, Warrnambool
2016 Lorne Sculpture Biennale
2015 Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Sydney
2015 Imago Mundy, Venice Biennale, Italy
2015 Flinders Lane Gallery ‘Exploration 15’
2015 Bridge 38 group show
2014 Cliftons Art Prize Melbourne WINNER
2014 M Contemporary Art Award
2014 Mars Gallery W.T.C. Emerging Sculptors
2014 SCOPE Galleries Environmental Prize
2014 Gallipoli Art Prize
2014 Golden Plains Arts Trail
2014 Rick Amor Drawing Prize Finalist, Ballarat
2013 Pop up Art Bar, North Melbourne
2013 ANL Maritime Art Prize
2012 Metro Award Exhibition
2012 Art Felt Exhibition N.S.W.
2012 Brunswick Street Gallery Small Works Prize
2012 Ilhanvale Group Show, Brunswick
2011 Warrnambool Gallery
2011 Brunswick Art Show
2011 Metro Art Award
2009 BROPHY House – Creative Design
2009 Metro 5 Award
2008 The Black Dog Project – Book, Logo Design & Art Direction
2006 Swan Hill National Print Award
2006 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2005 Head On Contemporary Portrait Prize, Sydney
2005 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2003 Photography of the South West. Miura, Japan
AWARDS
2017 Flanagan Emerging Art Award – Winner
2016 Shorlisted Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize
2014 Cliftons Art Prize Melbourne – Winner
2014 Cliftons Art Prize Melbourne – Winner People’s choice award
2011 People’s Choice Award – Warrnambool Gallery Civic Green Art Show
2010 Casama Art Prize, Victorian College of the Arts – Winner
2010 Surfing World Art Award– Finalist
2009 Chemical Brothers ‘Midnight Madness’ Film Clip
2007 ABC Triple J Festival Photography Award – Winner
2007 Josephine Ulrick Portrait Prize – Finalist
2007 BHP Billiton/Corangamite Shire – Small Business Award – Winner
2007 Powercor Great South Coast Regional Business Award – Finalist
2005 Centre for Contemporary Photography. Best Action Photo – Winner
2005 Leica/ Documentary Photography Award – Shortlisted
2003 Cavalier Art & Design Prize, Deakin University
GRANTS
20/20 – 20 En Plein Air Paintings in 20 days, Melbourne
RESIDENCIES
2019 YAVA Healesville, Australia.
2015-16 3 month Mystic House Residency. Capetown, South Africa.
2015 Telstra Imaginarium Workshop. Sydney, Australia.
2014 3 month Dawson Street Residency. Warrnambool, Australia.
COLLECTIONS
Casama Group, Melbourne
Warrnambool Regional Art Gallery, Warrnambool
Maryborough Regional Art Gallery, Maryborough
AH & R Schmidt Pty Ltd, Geelong
Otway Exports, Melbourne
Back to Back Theatre, Geelong
Private Collections Australia, America, Holland, Scotland, Wales & France
2017 Flanagan Emerging Art Award – Winner
2016 Shorlisted Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize
2014 Cliftons Art Prize Melbourne – Winner
2014 Cliftons Art Prize Melbourne – Winner People’s choice award
2011 People’s Choice Award – Warrnambool Gallery Civic Green Art Show
2010 Casama Art Prize, Victorian College of the Arts – Winner
2010 Surfing World Art Award– Finalist
2009 Chemical Brothers ‘Midnight Madness’ Film Clip
2007 ABC Triple J Festival Photography Award – Winner
2007 Josephine Ulrick Portrait Prize – Finalist
2007 BHP Billiton/Corangamite Shire – Small Business Award – Winner
2007 Powercor Great South Coast Regional Business Award – Finalist
2005 Centre for Contemporary Photography. Best Action Photo – Winner
2005 Leica/ Documentary Photography Award – Shortlisted
2003 Cavalier Art & Design Prize, Deakin University
GRANTS
20/20 – 20 En Plein Air Paintings in 20 days, Melbourne
RESIDENCIES
2019 YAVA Healesville, Australia.
2015-16 3 month Mystic House Residency. Capetown, South Africa.
2015 Telstra Imaginarium Workshop. Sydney, Australia.
2014 3 month Dawson Street Residency. Warrnambool, Australia.
COLLECTIONS
Casama Group, Melbourne
Warrnambool Regional Art Gallery, Warrnambool
Maryborough Regional Art Gallery, Maryborough
AH & R Schmidt Pty Ltd, Geelong
Otway Exports, Melbourne
Back to Back Theatre, Geelong
Private Collections Australia, America, Holland, Scotland, Wales & France