Andrew Hmelnitsky

Art for Andrew Hmelnitsky is genetic. He grew up in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, playing the piano, cimbalon and other tuned percussion instruments, such as the marimba and vibraphone, once playing with Tommy Tycho at the Sydney Town Hall.
At the age of 14, rebelling against expectations of the family, he bought a drum kit, took up surfing and skateboard riding and threw himself into art.

“Travelling extensively throughout Europe in my teenage years, I was lucky enough to meet my Australian art hero, Jeffrey Smart and spend time with him in Arezzo, Italy. In Spain I undertook art studies with Ross Davis. In Florence each year, days were spent wandering the Ufizzi Gallery and sketching in the Academy. I drew in the streets of Paris by the side of the Seine in the frozen winters and marveled at the impressionists in the Jeu de Paume. We visited every church, monastery and art gallery that it was possible to see from The Kremlin in Moscow to St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

“My art is about love, about life and about time. It is about a journey, about memory and about loss.”

Andrew currently 49, lives and works in Northern NSW. He has been represented in solo exhibitions with Tim Olsen, Michael Car, Robin Gibson and Damien Minton, and has participated in over 100 exhibitions.