Michael Vale is a Melbourne-based artist whose practice brings together Romantic traditions, absurdist theatre, dark fiction and a mischievous sense of humour. Over several decades, he has developed a distinctive visual language that fuses the grandeur of dramatic landscapes with the unexpected presence of surreal and often comical figures. 

A winner of the prestigious Doug Moran National Portrait Prize and a senior lecturer at Monash University for over 20 years, Vale combines painterly skill with a love of storytelling and visual trickery. His richly layered works offer audiences an imaginative space where theatre, literature and art collide.