Brett Ashby - Original Artwork 'Human Capital'
About this item
Human Capital | Brett Ashby
Oil and Acrylic on Timber — a preferred medium within the artist’s practice
Signed, titled and dated verso, 2026
45cm x 55cm (Framed)
Includes Certificate of Authenticity
Brett Ashby has gained increasing national recognition through selection in major Australian portrait prizes, with his work attracting attention for its psychological intensity. Works on timber of this scale represent a more resolved and collectable tier within his practice, appealing to collectors seeking emerging contemporary Australian artists with a clear and developing visual identity.
A bold and highly resolved work, Ashby’s ‘Human Capital’ exemplifies the artist’s distinctive fusion of graphic immediacy and painterly gesture. Executed in layered oil and acrylic on timber, the work carries both physical presence and conceptual clarity — balancing raw mark-making with a controlled, contemporary visual language.
Ashby’s practice sits at the intersection of figurative painting and cultural commentary, and in ‘Human Capital’ this tension is brought sharply into focus. The composition draws on visual cues from street culture, portraiture and commercial iconography, creating a work that feels both immediate and critically aware.
As the artist notes: “Human Capital interrogates the collision of corporate logic and biological instinct… where does the act end, and the real you begin?”
Original works of this scale and finish are limited within Ashby’s output and are typically held within private collections. A strong and timely acquisition opportunity within the evolving market for contemporary Australian figurative painting.
Includes delivery anywhere in Australia
brettashby.com
Catalog number 30
Value: Artist RRP $33,000
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