Keith Looby

Keith Looby Artist

Esteemed Australian Artist

Enquiries: hello@spudlane.com.au

Keith Looby was born in Sydney in 1940, and entered the National Art School at the age of 15. Following his graduation, he set sail for Naples, Italy in 1960 and over the next seven years travelled throughout the Continent and the UK visiting galleries and museums while continuing to paint.

In 1964 he held his first solo exhibition at the Carpini Gallery, Rome, followed by his second exhibition a year later with Viotto Gallery in Turin. At the suggestion and with the assistance of Jeffrey Smart, Looby returned to Australia in 1967 to show with Macquarie Galleries in Sydney and has exhibited widely throughout Australia thereafter.

Resurrection by Keith Looby
Resurrection, Keith Looby 1964, Oil on canvas, 264 x 392cm (Image courtesy of NGA)

Looby went on to win the Blake Prize for Religious Art in 1973, the Sulman Prize in 1974, and was the 1984 Archibald Prize winner with a portrait of Max Gillies impersonating Bob Hawke, and many other awards.

Looby was the subject of a feature length documentary LOOBY produced by Mama Dojo and LoudHailer which received rave reviews at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in 2019 and went on tour screening at more than sixty galleries and cultural institutions around Australia in 2021.

Image of the artist courtesy of Mama Dojo

Exhibition History, Awards and Collections

Featured Artworks by Keith Looby

Tasmanian Trees, Keith Looby, 1988, Oil on canvas, 243x103cm
Tasmanian Trees 1988
Oil on canvas, 243x103cm
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Tasmanian Trees, Keith Looby, 1988, Oil on canvas, 228x91cm
Tasmanian Trees 1988
Oil on canvas, 228x91cm
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Cat, Keith Looby, 1997, Oil on canvas, 103x85cm
Cat 1997
Oil on canvas, 103x85cm
Billycar Revivalist, Keith Looby, 1997, Oil on canvas, 103x85cm
Billycar Revivalist 1997
Oil on canvas, 103x85cm
Cliffhanger, Keith Looby, 2005, Oil on canvas, 145x102cm
Cliffhanger 2005
Oil on canvas, 145x102cm
Playground III, Keith Looby, 1992, Oil on canvas, 204x129cm
Playground III 1992
Oil on canvas, 204x129cm
Playground - Canberra, Keith Looby, 1992, Oil on canvas, 204x131cm
Playground - Canberra 1992
Oil on canvas, 204x131cm
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Artist and Puppet (Peter Scriven), Keith Looby, 1998, Oil on canvas, 182x182cm
Artist and Puppet (Peter Scriven) 1998
Oil on canvas, 182x182cm
Wife, Husband & Make Believe, Keith Looby, 2003, Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
Wife, Husband & Make Believe 2003
Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
Study for Individual Max, Keith Looby, 2003, Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
Study for Individual Max 2003
Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
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Eye Ruth, Keith Looby, 2003, Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
Eye Ruth 2003
Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
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Family Floe, Keith Looby, 2003, Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
Family Floe 2003
Acrylic on canvas, 39.5x33.5cm
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First Life, Keith Looby, 1976, Etching 43/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
First Life 1976
Etching 43/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
$1,800 | Purchase Enquire
Growth, Keith Looby, 1976, Etching 12/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
Growth 1976
Etching 12/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
$1,800 | Purchase Enquire
First Moon, Keith Looby, 1976, Etching 15/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
First Moon 1976
Etching 15/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
$1,800 | Purchase Enquire
Massacre of Tasmania, Keith Looby, 1976, Etching 43/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
Massacre of Tasmania 1976
Etching 43/50, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
$1,800 | Purchase Enquire
Eureka Landscape, Keith Looby, 1976, Etching 27/50, 450x590mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
Eureka Landscape 1976
Etching 27/50, 450x590mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
$1,800 | Purchase Enquire
Macarthur's Sheep, Keith Looby, 1976, Etching A/P, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
Macarthur's Sheep 1976
Etching A/P, 450x605mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
They’re Funny Fellows Now, Keith Looby, 1980, Etching 13/50, 430x590mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
They’re Funny Fellows Now 1980
Etching 13/50, 430x590mm image size; 74.5x86.5cm frame size
Classroom number 3, Keith Looby, 1979, Gouache on paper, 25.5x36cm
Classroom number 3 1979
Gouache on paper, 25.5x36cm
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Hero, Keith Looby, 1984, Etching ed. 8/20, 450x575mm image size; 70x82cm frame size
Hero 1984
Etching ed. 8/20, 450x575mm image size; 70x82cm frame size
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Image of Herself, Keith Looby, 2003, Acrylic on canvas, 180x180cm
Image of Herself 2003
Acrylic on canvas, 180x180cm
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Little Arteaters. A Cultured Dessert, Keith Looby, 1983-84, Oil on canvas, 61x55.5cm
Little Arteaters. A Cultured Dessert 1983-84
Oil on canvas, 61x55.5cm
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Little Arteaters. To paint, Keith Looby, 1983-84, Oil on canvas, 61x62.5cm
Little Arteaters. To paint 1983-84
Oil on canvas, 61x62.5cm
$5,500 | Purchase Enquire
The Three Graces, Keith Looby, 1998, Ink on Paper, 42x29.5cm
The Three Graces 1998
Ink on Paper, 42x29.5cm
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Under a Sunlit Cliff, Keith Looby, 1973, Ink on card, 50 x 62 cm
Under a Sunlit Cliff 1973
Ink on card, 50 x 62 cm
$4,950 | Purchase Enquire
With Federation, Keith Looby, 1973, Ink on card, 50 x 62 cm
With Federation 1973
Ink on card, 50 x 62 cm
$4,950 | Purchase Enquire
Our Home Island, Keith Looby, 1973, Ink on card, 50 x 62 cm
Our Home Island 1973
Ink on card, 50 x 62 cm
$4,950 | Purchase Enquire
In Raised Price Culture, Keith Looby, 1974, Ink and wash on card, 50 x 62 cm
In Raised Price Culture 1974
Ink and wash on card, 50 x 62 cm
$4,950 | Purchase Enquire

Please contact us to enquire about available artworks, arrange a virtual viewing, or request a mock up of a piece in your home.

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