About

“Colour is real in painting, one can use illusions of depth, volume, movement and light to achieve meaning enough to hold the wildness of raw colour.” - Richard Cutler

Born in 1944 and raised on Sydney’s North Shore, Richard Cutler began painting in oils at the age of 15. Surrounded by conservative values, he found creative freedom through art — often earning money to buy paints by growing vegetables in the family garden. A friendship with renowned artist and filmmaker Garry Shead began in those early days, sparking a lifelong connection to creative circles.

Richard studied sculpture under Lyndon Dadswell and life drawing with Jeffrey Smart at East Sydney Technical College before embarking on over three decades of study under influential modernist John Ogburn. As a founding member and director of the Harrington Street Artists’ Co-operative in The Rocks, Sydney, Richard exhibited annually and played a central role in the gallery’s growth and community for many years.

In his late 20s, Richard undertook an artistic pilgrimage across Europe, Morocco, and North America by motorcycle, immersing himself in the world’s great art collections and landscapes. He returned to Europe again in 1979 with Ogburn and fellow students to study masterpieces in situ, continuing his dedication to understanding gesture, form, and meaning in visual art.

Alongside his creative practice, Richard spent 25 years working in the family’s bespoke tailoring firm, JH Cutler, where the discipline of hand craftsmanship and the camaraderie of the workshop shaped both his values and aesthetic. In 2005, he relocated to the Blue Mountains, where he became an active member and later President of the Blue Mountains Creative Arts Centre in Glenbrook. He continues to rent a studio and exhibit his work in the region.

Richard’s paintings draw from life drawing, personal symbolism, and Australia’s cultural and political landscape. His work is rich in gesture, often playful, sometimes sombre, and always honest. Inspired by weekly drawing sessions, community connections — including with local Aboriginal friends and fellow artists — and a lifelong love of drama and human complexity, his paintings reflect a uniquely Australian voice shaped by decades of artistic inquiry and lived experience.

“I find my Australianness comes through naturally, whatever direction I turn in my work,” he says. “Whether I’m exploring humour, struggle, or presence, it’s all part of celebrating life.”