Craig Ruddy

Born in Sydney, Australia in 1968, Craig Ruddy studied design and fashion illustration in the late 1980s, before working as landscape gardener, designer and commercial art director. His true passion for drawing and painting emerged in 2001, when he quit his successful design career in order to pursue a life in art.

Since 2002 his work has been exhibited at Art Depot Gallery, Graphis Gallery and S.H. Ervin Gallery in Sydney, at his solo show at the Cork Street Gallery in London, as well as in group exhibitions at many Australian institutions including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Broken Hill Art Gallery and Victoria Arts Centre.

In 2004, his highly controversial portrait of Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil entitled Two Worlds, won the Archibald Prize, Australia's most prestigious art prize. Ruddy's also won the 2010 Archibald Peoples Choice Prize for his portrait of writer/director Warwick Thornton titled "Prince of Darkness". "Levitation" was Ruddy's fourth solo show at Richard Martin Art Gallery in Sydney, who has represented the artist since 2006. Craig Ruddy lives and works in Sydney, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.