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Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Brett Whiteley Studio

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Surry Hills, NSW
Brett Whiteley Studio

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Located in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia. Open Thursday to Sunday, 10am–4pm. Entry is free. He lived there from 1987 to 1992, the year he died in Thirroul.

The Brett Whiteley Studio is a public art museum in the former studio and home of Australian artist Brett Whiteley, managed by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The Brett Whiteley Studio is a public art museum, based in the former studio and home of Australian artist, Brett Whiteley (1939–92) and is managed by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Brett Whiteley Studio is located in Surry Hills, Sydney Australia, and open Thursday to Sunday, from 10am to 4pm. The artist bought the former warehouse in 1985 and converted it into a studio and exhibition space. When the Studio is reopened in late 2025, visitors have the unique opportunity to experience the atmosphere of the space – the studio with Brett's unfinished paintings, art equipment and collections of reference books, and the graffiti wall covered with quotes and images. The living area has memorabilia such as photographs, objects, postcards, furniture, his music collection and sketchbooks. The gallery has changing exhibitions of the artist’s works: paintings, drawings, sculpture and graphics borrowed from the Brett Whiteley Studio Collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales and private collections.

04/10/2026

✏️ Drawing workshops are back at the Brett Whiteley Studio

Enrolments are open for our next series of Saturday drawing workshops, running from 31 October to 5 December 2026.

Whether you’re keen to explore the human form or take inspiration from the curves, lines and character of the Brett Whiteley Studio, choose from two courses:

Life Drawing
Saturdays, 10.30am–12.30pm
$350 non-members | $315 members

Follow the curve
Saturdays, 1.30–3.30pm
$315 non-members | $285 members
All materials are provided, so simply bring yourself and get ready to draw.

Places are limited, with no waitlists or walk-ups on the day, so we recommend booking early.

🔗 Enrolments open. Book via the link in bio.

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Images: Brett Whiteley Wendy sleeping 1973, Brett Whiteley Studio Collection © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency

Brett Whiteley, View from R***r St studio 1985, Brett Whiteley Studio Collection © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency

15/09/2026

Art icon.

In the latest issue of RUSSH Magazine, photographer James Tolich captures Wendy Whiteley with the warmth, wit and unmistakable style that have made her such a beloved figure in Australia's cultural life. Still inspiring, still creating, still impossibly cool.

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Images courtesy of

Editorial Credits:

Editor-in-chief: Jess Blanch
Photographer: James Tolich
Fashion: Thomas Townsend
Talent: Wendy Whiteley
Hair: Kieren Street @ a-p reps
Makeup: Isabella Schimid
Photographer's assistant: Chester Newling
Stylist's assistant: Koby Dulac-Daley

27/07/2026

Entries for the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship are closing soon.

Awarded annually by the Brett Whiteley Studio, the scholarship supports talented artists aged 20 to 30 with an established body of work, providing a significant opportunity to expand their practice through travel.

As the 2025 scholarship recipient, Visaya Hoffie () has recently travelled to Paris to undertake her residency, joining a distinguished group of artists whose careers have been shaped by the award.

This year's judge is the esteemed artist Jenny Watson ().

In 2026, one artist will receive:
✈️ $50,000 and a 3-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris

Plus five artists will receive:
🎨 $10,000 and a 2-week residency at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley

Entries close 31 July 2026.

Apply now at https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/about-us/opportunities-for-artists/brett-whiteley-travelling-art-scholarship/

Tag an artist who should know about this opportunity.

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📸 Photography by Tatanja Ross ()

24/07/2026

🎉 The Brett Whiteley Studio is now open

After two years of extensive restoration, the Brett Whiteley Studio has reopened its doors to the public.

Located in the heart of Surry Hills, the Studio offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the life and creative practice of one of Australia's most celebrated artists.

The Studio is more than a museum. It is a place that tells the story of an artist's life and continues to inspire generations of visitors, students and art lovers.

We look forward to welcoming you back through the doors and sharing this beautifully restored space with the community.

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The Art Gallery of New South Wales gratefully acknowledges the support of principal patrons Tim Fairfax AC and Gina Fairfax AC and the Brett Whiteley Foundation.

Proudly funded by the NSW Government, major partner J.P. Morgan and media partners The Monthly and The Saturday Paper.

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Images:

Exterior view of the Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, featuring Brett Whiteley Endlessnessism c1985 © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales

Brett Whiteley The balcony 2 1975 at the Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales

Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, featuring artworks by Brett Whiteley © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales

Brett Whiteley Big orange (sunset) 1974 and (Freestanding ultramarine) Palm trees 1974 at the Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales

Brett Whiteley Self-portrait in the studio 1975–76 at the Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales

Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, featuring artworks by Brett Whiteley © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales

Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, featuring artworks by Brett Whiteley © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales

22/07/2026

The wait is almost over.

The Brett Whiteley Studio reopens to the public this weekend, following a two-year closure for building maintenance and upgrades. Undertaken by renowned architecture firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (), the refurbishment – which improved accessibility and rectified structural issues – ensures that visitors can continue enjoying the unique experience of seeing Brett Whiteley’s celebrated works on display in his former home and workplace in Surry Hills, Sydney.

‘There’s nothing like it in Australia,’ said Wendy Whiteley in the lead-up to the reopening of the Studio, which has been operated as a museum by the Art Gallery of New South Wales since February 1995. ‘We’ve worked very hard at making it successful and keeping it relevant.’ When asked how important the Studio is to the preservation of her late husband’s memory and legacy, Wendy says, ‘It is Brett’s legacy in the sense that it’s about him … and what it is like to be an artist, you know, a painter.’

She proudly acknowledges the important role that the Studio has played, and continues to play, in ‘expanding Australia’s cultural life’ and educating the populace – particularly young people – on her late husband’s significant contribution to Australian art history. Over the years, the Studio has welcomed thousands of students from across the state who study Whiteley’s works in their visual arts coursework at high school.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales gratefully acknowledges the support of principal patrons Tim Fairfax AC and Gina Fairfax AC and the Brett Whiteley Foundation.

Proudly funded by the NSW Government, major partner J.P. Morgan and media partners The Monthly and The Saturday Paper.

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This full article first appeared in ‘Look’ – the Art Gallery’s members magazine.

Brett Whiteley with pet terrier Sense at his R***r Street studio, 1988, photo: Jon Lewis © Estate of Jon Lewis

Brett Whiteley and assistant renovating the R***r Street studio, c1985, photo: Phillip Parslow © PK Yap

Brett Whiteley working in his Lavender Bay studio, 1976, photo: Robert Walker © Estate of Robert Walker/Copyright Agency

21/07/2026

“I think he’d be happy”

Hear from Wendy Whiteley as we prepare to welcome visitors back into the world of iconic Australian artist Brett Whiteley with the reopening of the Brett Whiteley Studio this Saturday. Following extensive building upgrades, the Studio has been carefully restored to preserve the spirit of one of Australia’s most significant artists’ studios.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales gratefully acknowledges the support of principal patrons Tim Fairfax AC and Gina Fairfax AC and the Brett Whiteley Foundation.

Proudly funded by the NSW Government, major partner J.P. Morgan and media partners The Monthly and The Saturday Paper.

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Video © Art Gallery of New South Wales

23/04/2026

Enrolments for term 2 of our Drawing Workshops at Wendy's Secret Garden are now open.

📅 Thursdays, 14 May – 4 June 2026
🕥 10.30am – 12.30pm

🖱️ Places are limited. Book now via the link in our bio.

Be guided by our experienced tutors to develop observational skills and let your creativity flow.

Immerse yourself in the lush green and scenic views of Sydney Harbour to find out why this place inspired so many of Brett's beloved works.

All levels welcome. All materials provided.

Charges apply.

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Images. Moments from Drawing Workshop at Wendy’s Secret Garden presented by the Brett Whiteley Studio, term 1 2026. Photos by Ruby Furney-Goodwin

06/04/2026

🎨 Happy Birthday Brett — born 7 April 1939 🎂

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Brett Whiteley in Lavender Bay, 1970s. archive. Photographer unknown.

01/04/2026

Brett and novelist and playwright Patrick White had a complex relationship, which swung from mutual admiration to bitter dislike before settling into a quiet, forgiving friendship. They enjoyed discussing politics and literature while they walked their dogs together in Centennial Park.

Brett’s inscription in the top left -hand corner of this work reads: 'Portrait of Patrick White as a headland after discussion about reincarnation', which suggests it is an imaginative portrayal of the Nobel Prize-winning author reborn as a coastal landscape.

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Brett Whiteley ‘Patrick as headland’ 1980, Brett Whiteley Studio collection © Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency

Address

2 Raper Street
Surry Hills, NSW
2010

Opening Hours

Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+61292251881

Website

http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/brett-whiteley-studio/, https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/about-us/corporate-informatio

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