Raymond Mather

Selected exhibitions, awards, and professional appointments from a four-decade creative practice.

The Platform | Artist Position Statement | Authenticity & Process | Raymond Mather

Practice Overview

Raymond’s photographic work explores abstraction, human traces, and poetic moments across landscape, object, and environment. Each artwork begins with his original photographic capture and is developed individually through a layered digital process refined since 2006. Working at the edge of destruction, Raymond pushes each image until a new artistic version emerges, using visual tension, artefacts, and density as expressive elements that preserve and heighten the essence of the original moment.

Works by Raymond Mather are held in public museum collections and are catalogued through the National Library of Australia’s Trove archive.

Solo Exhibitions

View the exhibition evolution of Coastal Noir in the Journal.

• MAT19
Murwillumbah Arts Trail, NSW. 2019

• Lost In The Bush 
Old John’s Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2019

• Coffs Goes POP
Old John’s Gallery, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2019

• Coastal Noir
SHIMMER Photographic Biennale, (Panel Selected),
Kay Brothers Winery Gallery, City of Onkaparinga, South Australia, 2018

• Extreme Cladding
Cell Art Space, Cairns, QLD (Solo exhibition, 3D installation), 2003

• Tropicale
Solo digital rear-projection installation
Carnival on Collins, Festival Cairns, Tanks Art Centre, QLD, 2002

• Tropicale
Lifestyle Café, Cairns, QLD, 2000

• Tropical
The Edge, Sydney, NSW (First solo exhibition, sold out), 2000

Selected Group Exhibitions

Selected exhibitions are documented with installation views and related journal entries.

• Percival Photographic Portrait Prize Exhibition
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Queensland, 2026

• #BESTILL A Pandemic Art Challenge
Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW
(Three works selected, exhibited online and in-gallery), 2020

• Northern Exposure 6
Glasshouse Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2020

• Brunswick Street Gallery
Fifty Squared Art Prize, Melbourne, 2020

• New Year New Work
Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW, 2019

• Lethbridge 20,000 Small Scale Art Award Finalists Exhibition
Brisbane, Queensland, 2019

• The Other Portrait Exhibition
Proudfoot's Loading Dock Gallery, Murwillumbah, NSW, 2019

• The Artist Selfie Exhibition
M-Arts, Murwillumbah, NSW, 2019

• Brunswick Street Gallery
Small Works Art Prize, Melbourne, 2019

• STILL Salon Exhibition
Associated with the STILL: National Still Life Award, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, NSW, 2017, 2019

• Percival Photographic Portrait Prize Exhibition 
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, Queensland, 2018

• Lethbridge 10,000 Small Scale Art Award Finalists Exhibition
Brisbane, Queensland, 2018

• Northern Exposure 5
Glasshouse Regional Gallery, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2018

• Noir et Blanc
The Art Factory, Coffs Harbour, NSW. Exhibition devised with Terri Butterworth and Heather McKinnon, 2017

• The Family Jewels
Raw Expose presented by SQWISI
(Self Health for Queensland Workers in the Sex Industry), Tanks Art Centre Cairns, 2005

• Hitting On & Kicking Off, KickArts
Centre of Contemporary Arts (CoCA), inaugural exhibition, opened by Rupert Myer, Cairns, QLD, 2004

• Bubbly Gummy Thingy
Bubblegum Bourgeoisie - The Upholstery Contemporary Arts, Cairns, QLD, 2003

• The Family Jewels
Moist - The Upholstery Contemporary Arts, Cairns, QLD, 2002

• All Male Art Review
Cairns Art Society, Cairns, 2001

• River, Stream, Pond
Barry Stern Gallery, Paddington, Sydney, NSW, 2000

Selected Awards & Prize Selections

Related artworks and selection records are preserved in the Selected Credits Archive.

• The Percival Photographic Portrait Prize
Finalist, 2018, 2026

• The Lethbridge 20000 Prize
Finalist, 2019

• The Lethbridge 10000 Prize
Finalist, 2018

• Your Health Link National Photographic Competition
Finalist and Semi-Finalist (multiple works, multiple categories), 2016-2018

• Moran Photographic Portrait Prize
Semi-Finalist, 2011, 2016

• Dr Koch Foundation Exhibition 
People's Choice Award, Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns, 2001

• Cairns Art Society
Black & White Photography, Winner, Cairns, 2000

Public Collections

Collection records and documentation are available in the Archive.

• Coffs Harbour City Collection
• Coffs Harbour Regional Museum Collection

Selected Publications & Catalogues

Scans, excerpts, and project documentation appear in the Archive and Journal.

• The Percivals Photographic Exhibition catalogue
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, QLD
Finalist publication, 2018 and 2026

• The Kempsey Place Plan - the journey continues
Community and government publication, NSW Government, 
Photography and visual documentation in collaboration with Dr Jan Strom, 2018

• Eutick Memorial Still Life Award (EMSLA) - 10th Anniversary Publication
Selected photographic documentation of artworks from the Coffs Harbour City Collection reproduced in the EMSLA 10th Anniversary publication, 2016

• The Most Interesting Person I Know (MIPIK)
Community portrait project and published book, 
Lead photographer, Cr8Studios - four-day intensive portrait project photographing 27 participants (in collaboration with writer Stephanie Hunt), 2015

• Keith Bain: The Principles of Movement
Edited by Michael Campbell.

Book cover visual artwork contribution by Raymond Mather, derived from a portrait of Keith Bain held at NIDA. The portrait, titled Keith Bain (everyone is doing the farandole), by Jenny Sages, was a finalist in the 1993 Archibald Prize.

Official Book Launch: Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House, 2005

Art Commission

Project documentation is included in the Archive.

• Amphora Resort, Palm Cove, QLD
Commissioned by interior design firm for new resort opening, 2004.
Five original artworks selected, reproduced, framed, and installed across approximately 100 guest rooms.

Editorial Photography

Published work and project records are preserved in the Archive.

• Burke’s Backyard Magazine (March 2001)
Commissioned full editorial shoot documenting contemporary landscape architecture projects by Andrew Prowse in Port Douglas, QLD. Shot on slide film for national print publication.

Professional Appointments & Workshops

• Artist in Residence, Hillform Studio, Upper Orara, NSW, 2026

• Guest Facilitator, Abstracting Reality: Photography Workshop, SHIMMER Photographic Biennale, Kay Brothers Winery Gallery, McLaren Vale, South Australia, 2018

Community Engagement

• Role Models fundraising auction, Wentworth Hotel, Sydney
Artwork donation supporting the Northcott Society, 1998

Selected Professional Roles

• Founder & Director, ART1 Fine Art Photography, 2025-present

• Founder & Director, Connections Photography, 2024-present

• Founder & Director, Cr8Studios, 2006-present

• Photographer & Creative Director, Raymond Mather Photography, 1999-present

• Member, Library Gallery Precinct Advisory Group (LGPAG), Coffs Harbour City Council, 2017-2024

• Gallery Photographer, Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, 2013-2018

• Curator and Education Program Coordinator, Tanks Arts Centre, Cairns Regional Council, 2000-2005

 

Contact and Further Information

For professional enquiries, commissions, or further information, please visit the Contact page or explore the ART1 Journal, ART1 Archive and FAQ sections.