Ken Done

Australian artist and designer, Ken Done has come to symbolize symbolise Australia and Australians: creative, optimistic and bold.

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Born 29 June 1940 in Sydney, Ken Done left school at 14 to enter the National Art School in East Sydney. After 5 years study he commenced a highly successful career in advertising, becoming Art Director and Creative Director for agencies such as J. Walter Thompson in New York, London and Sydney.

Ken Done’s first solo exhibition was held in Sydney in 1980. Since then, he has held over 40 one-man shows including major exhibitions in Australia, Japan and France. Over the past few years, Ken has devoted most of his time to painting. His works have been shown in the Archibald, Sulman, Wynne, Bloke, and Dobell Prizes.

Major projects in a very diverse career include the painting of a BMW Artcar and the total decorative scheme for the Garden Restaurant at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. In 1994, a major retrospective of Ken Done’s work Ken Done: the art of design was mounted by the Powerhouse Museum.

Ken Done’s first European exhibition was held in Paris in 1996 to great acclaim and in 2000 the art of Ken Done was successful premiered in both Los Angeles and London.

Ken Done’s paintings soon became the creative source of Done Art and Design Corporation, which today is a multi-million dollar empire with shops in Australia and overseas. Promoting Australian art and design to a world-wide audience, Ken Dome has come to symbolize symbolise Australia’s uniqueness.

In 1993, Ken Done, together with his fashion-designer wife Judy, won the Fashion Industries of Australia’s Grand Award for Fashion.

Although he has worked extensively for many charitable organisations, the welfare of underprivileged children has always been a special concern of Ken’s. Father of the Year in 1989, Ken Done holds the honorary position of Australian Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.

In 1992, Ken Done received the Order of Australia (A,M), for services to Art, Design and Tourism.