Between Chaos and Control: Matthew Cheyne Brings a Colourful New Perspective to Mitchell
Award-winning Ipswich artist Matthew Cheyne explores the contradictions of contemporary life through hyper-colour imagery, dark humour and unexpected juxtapositions in a new exhibition at Mitchell Fine Art, Brisbane, from 17 November 2026.
Venue: Mitchell Fine Art
Address: 86 Arthur St, Fortitude Valley Brisbane QLD 4006 Australia
Date: 17 November - 19 December 2026
Time: Mon to Fri 10 – 5.30pm, Sat 10 – 5pm
Ticket: FREE
Buy / Ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/art-exhibition-matthew-cheyne-tickets-2004107372099?keep_tld=true
Web: https://mitchellfineartgallery.com/collections/matthew-cheyne-exhibition-2026
: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellfineartgallery/
: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mitchell-fine-art/
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EMail: Gallery@mitchellfineartgallery.com
Call: 0484 075 697
Address: 86 Arthur St, Fortitude Valley Brisbane QLD 4006 Australia
Date: 17 November - 19 December 2026
Time: Mon to Fri 10 – 5.30pm, Sat 10 – 5pm
Ticket: FREE
Buy / Ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/art-exhibition-matthew-cheyne-tickets-2004107372099?keep_tld=true
Web: https://mitchellfineartgallery.com/collections/matthew-cheyne-exhibition-2026
: https://www.instagram.com/mitchellfineartgallery/
: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mitchell-fine-art/
: https://www.facebook.com/mitchellfineartgallery
EMail: Gallery@mitchellfineartgallery.com
Call: 0484 075 697
Request Image Contact: Gallery@mitchellfineartgallery.com
Image Copyright / CDN: Mitchell Fine Art
Matthew Cheyne 'Black and White Monkeys' 103 x 85cm oil on linen (2026)
Monkeys, volcanoes and confetti collide in Matthew Cheyne’s vibrant new exhibition, where seemingly unrelated subjects challenge how we perceive and make sense of the world.
Blending vivid colour with dark humour, Cheyne explores the tension between our desire for order and the unpredictable nature of life. From the controlled environments of museums and zoos to the raw power of the natural world, his paintings play with the boundaries between chaos and control, inviting viewers to reconsider their assumptions about the world around them.
Drawing inspiration from people, everyday encounters and the built environment, Cheyne finds humour in the contradictions of contemporary life. His unexpected compositions create scenes that are playful yet unsettling, exploring how we categorise, interpret and attempt to control our surroundings.
Colour is central to this exploration. Informed in part by his colour blindness, Cheyne embraces unexpected combinations and contrasts to create tension between subject and perception.
“I paint scenes from an inner world with its own internal logic. I typically begin with three or four bright colours, allowing errors in transcription to remain. I like to compress or explode colour and tone to create tension within the subject matter,” says Cheyne.
Cheyne’s exhibition follows a strong year for the artist, having won the 2026 Brisbane Portrait Prize Packer’s Room Prize and been selected as a finalist in the 2026 Stanthorpe Art Prize.
Based in Ipswich, he has also lived in Germany and France, exhibiting in Cologne, Berlin and Luxembourg. His work has been exhibited at Ipswich Regional Art Gallery, Casula Powerhouse in Sydney and the National Archives of Australia in Canberra.
Mitchell Fine Art will present the exhibition from 17 November to 19 December 2026, with two free public events offering opportunities to meet the artist and learn more about his practice.
Exhibition Opening with Matthew Cheyne
Friday 20 November 2026, 5.30pm–7pm
Artist Talk with Matthew Cheyne
Saturday 5 December 2026, 11am
Blending vivid colour with dark humour, Cheyne explores the tension between our desire for order and the unpredictable nature of life. From the controlled environments of museums and zoos to the raw power of the natural world, his paintings play with the boundaries between chaos and control, inviting viewers to reconsider their assumptions about the world around them.
Drawing inspiration from people, everyday encounters and the built environment, Cheyne finds humour in the contradictions of contemporary life. His unexpected compositions create scenes that are playful yet unsettling, exploring how we categorise, interpret and attempt to control our surroundings.
Colour is central to this exploration. Informed in part by his colour blindness, Cheyne embraces unexpected combinations and contrasts to create tension between subject and perception.
“I paint scenes from an inner world with its own internal logic. I typically begin with three or four bright colours, allowing errors in transcription to remain. I like to compress or explode colour and tone to create tension within the subject matter,” says Cheyne.
Cheyne’s exhibition follows a strong year for the artist, having won the 2026 Brisbane Portrait Prize Packer’s Room Prize and been selected as a finalist in the 2026 Stanthorpe Art Prize.
Based in Ipswich, he has also lived in Germany and France, exhibiting in Cologne, Berlin and Luxembourg. His work has been exhibited at Ipswich Regional Art Gallery, Casula Powerhouse in Sydney and the National Archives of Australia in Canberra.
Mitchell Fine Art will present the exhibition from 17 November to 19 December 2026, with two free public events offering opportunities to meet the artist and learn more about his practice.
Exhibition Opening with Matthew Cheyne
Friday 20 November 2026, 5.30pm–7pm
Artist Talk with Matthew Cheyne
Saturday 5 December 2026, 11am