Evert Ploeg (pronounced Ay-vert Plough; born 1963 in Sydney, New South Wales) is one of Australia's most highly regarded portrait painters, who has won a range of painting prizes, such as the 1999 and 2007 Archibald Prize (Category: People’s Choice) and was awarded the highly coveted ‘Signature Status’ of The Portrait Society of America.
Personal life
Born and raised in Sydney in a family of Dutch heritage, Ploeg works from his self-designed studio on the city’s Northern Beaches, which was featured on Nine Network’s ‘Our House’ programme in 2001. He lives with his partner, film and television costumier, Ivana Daniele and their two daughters Aurora and Paloma.
Style and Artistic Approach
Working in a tonal realist style (mostly in oil), Ploeg’s pictures bespeak an approach to portraiture that is inspired by documentary methods. Putting emphasis on visually encoding a personal narrative in any given portrait, he builds connection to his subjects through conversation and extended observation both during their sitting as well as in their engagements outside of the atelier. In his early work, he explored alternative textures and surfaces, while today his direct and sculptural approach sees him coming back to and revisiting passages, building up character and emotion through tonal layering. Rhythmical application delivers a dynamic sense of movement while maintaining a harmonious and expressive style. A dominant feature in Ploeg’s work is thereby the aesthetic rendition of hands, with their shape and posture rounding compositions and giving them their signature look. Over the past decade, Ploeg has begun engaging more and more in plein-air painting, affording unique scenarios that lend his current style an ‘Alla Prima’ element.
Career
Ploeg mainly works on a commission basis, with his work having been recognized with numerous (inter)national prizes and awards. It is held in many of Australia’s major public and private collections as well as having received sustained international coverage, especially in the USA. Aside from direct commissions, he has also participated in a plethora of special events, for example engaging in live painting on stage for acclaimed theatre projects, judging in art prize panels or lending his time as well as painting and sculptural skill to charity causes. He also guest lectures and conducts workshops and classes across the country.
Archibald Prize
Amid the most significant recognition of Ploeg’s achievements are his three-time wins at Australia’s most prestigious and often controversial Archibald Portrait Prize held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Having first entered the competition in 1997 with a controversial (and ultimately ruled out) submission of a portrait of the ABC’s cherished cartoon characters Bananas in Pyjamas, Ploeg has since won the coveted Archibald People’s Choice Award in 1999 (subject: Australian Indigenous actress Deborah Mailman) and in 2007 (subject: Australian conductor and musical director George Ellis), as well as its Packing Room Prize in 2004 (subject: Australian journalist Jana Wendt). Furthermore, Ploeg has been selected to the Salon des Refuses of Sydney’s S.H. Ervin Gallery, termed the Alternative Archibald, three times with a People’s Choice win there in 2000 (subject: Australian actor Richard Roxburgh) ¬– concurrent to having had his portrait of Paralympian athlete Louise Sauvage competing in the ‘Sporting’ Archibald held in conjunction with the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He has also entered paintings to the Archibald Prize of singer Ben Lee, fashion identity Peter Morrissey, actor Richard Roxburgh and art collector and philanthropist John Schaeffer AO (in 2014).
Collections
Australian Ballet School, Melbourne
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian War Memorial
CERA – Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital
Florey Institute (Melbourne) Melbourne Cricket Club National Portrait Gallery of Australia St John Ambulance (Canberra) The Australiana Fund The University of Melbourne – Economics The University of Melbourne – Law School
Private School Collections (Victoria): Camberwell Grammar School Lauriston Girls School Queens College
As well as numerous private collections in Australia, the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Sweden & USA.