CELEBRATING 100 YEARS
JOHN COBURN
“I make art to help people feel..."
About John Coburn
John Coburn (1925–2006) was one of Australia’s most celebrated modern artists, known for his vibrant use of colour, spiritual symbolism, and pioneering role in abstract art.
Over a career spanning five decades, his work graced everything from major galleries to sacred spaces including the Sydney Opera House and the Vatican Museum.
This site honours 100 years since his birth, offering a window into his remarkable life, enduring legacy, and the bold visual language that defined his art.
Photo by Paul Green
Life, Work, Legacy
"All my work is deliberately abstract so that people can read into it whatever they like.
I like it to be that way, I find that if I paint naturalistically then it loses its symbolic power.
It might be what the eye actually sees in nature, but is only what you see, it is no longer symbolic.
To retain this symbolic power my work tends to be semi-abstract."
- John Coburn
from 'John Coburn: The Spirit of Colour' by Lou Klepac, 2003.
