Turbo Brown Paintings

Trevor Turbo Brown was born in 1967 in Mildura, and grew up along the Murray River in north western Victoria. He had an incredibly difficult childhood – he was born with an intellectual disability and abandoned by his family at a young age, then spent much of his youth homeless. As a teenager Turbo Brown was heading for a lifestyle of alcohol abuse and crime.

But some break of fortune was due for Turbo, when a local policeman introduced him to Herb and Bunta Batten. They chose to adopt Turbo, and they soon moved to Melbourne. Here Turbo Brown took up boxing and took to the rap scene, becoming a recognised rapper and breakdancer. The nickname of Turbo dates from this time in his life, assumed from the film character appearing in a breakdancing film ‘Breakin’ from the early 1980s.

The next break for Turbo Brown came when his adopted parents Herb and Bunta joined a visual arts course at Bundoora RMIT. They decided to take Turbo Brown along with them. It was Turbo’s fate that he could find ways to visualise the ideas and stories that he held in his head.  This became a transforming moment for Turbo Brown, giving him direction and a positive outlook through his art.

Trevor Turbo Brown paints with a straight forward energy and focus. His subject matter is the outdoor world of birds and animals. He explains this as coming from the time when he was homeless as a youth, living in Mildura and along the banks of the Murray River. At that time the animals were his singular friends, and they still dominate his world. The bright and colourful world of Turbo Brown has been well represented in exhibitions and collections around Australia.

Selected Solo Exhibitions:

2014 – Trevor Turbo Brown, Kate Owen Gallery, Sydney
2012 – Trevor Turbo Brown, New Works, Rex Livingston Art, Sydney
2011 – Turbo’s Hungry Birds, Artworld.tv Gallery, Melbourne
2010 – Trevor Turbo Brown, Dreamtime Animals, Boscia Galleries, Melbourne
2009 – Trevor Turbo Brown – Friends and Family, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London
2009 – Trevor Turbo Brown, New Works, Rex Livingston Art, Sydney
2008 – Trevor Turbo Brown, New Works, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne
2008 – Trevor Turbo Brown, Animals from the Dreamtime, Rex Livingston Art, Sydney
2007 – Trevor Turbo Brown, Animals from the Dreaming, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne
2006 – Trevor Turbo Brown, Dreamtime Animals, Koorie Heritage Trust
2005 – Trevor Turbo Brown, Koorie Heritage Trust, Melbourne

Collections:

National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Victoria
Koorie Heritage Trust
Artbank
St Vincent’s Health Australia
Broadmeadows Health Service

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2008 – Culture Warriors: National Indigenous Art Triennial, National Gallery of Australia
2008 – 25th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Darwin
2008 – Who Let the Dogs Out, Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, curated by Merryn Gates
2008 – Better World Arts, SA
2008 – A Latje Latje Story: Locations and Longevity
2008 – End of Year Mix #3, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne
2007 – Culture Warriors: National Indigenous Art Triennial, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
2007 – Naive, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne 2007, Australia Dreaming Art, Melbourne
2006 – Landmarks, National Gallery of Victoria
2006 – Tribal Expressions Commonwealth Showcase of Indigenous Art, Blackbox Gallery
2005 – 22nd Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, Darwin
2005 – Victoria Indigenous Art Award, Arts Victoria Gallery
2005 – Urban Yarns: Southern Region Indigenous Arts
2005 – Sorry Seems so Hard to Say, Bundoora Homestead Art Gallery, City of Darebin
2004 – Emerging Artists, Koorie Heritage Trust
2004 – Show Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, Latrobe St Gallery, Urbanity Parliament House and Bunjilaka
2003 – Us Mob Too, PIT Space Gallery, RMIT University
2003 – Bagunnga, 10 years of RMIT Koorie Ed, Korrie Heritage Trust
2003 – Indigenous Awareness Week Show, Grand Hall, City of Whittlesea
2003 – NAIDOC Week Show (Group Show with NMIT) PIT Space
2002 – Arts Showcase PIT Space Gallery RMIT University
2001 – End of Year Show PIT Space Gallery RMIT University
Awards:
2012 Winner – Victorian Indigenous Art Awards
2008 Finalist – Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award
2006 Finalist – Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award
2005 Finalist – Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Award
2004 City of Darebin DATSIC Award Gumbri Exhibition Bundoora Homestead