Fantauzzo Gallery

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Posted 2025-05-14 by Jen ⇒ follow

Images - Writers Own

Walking up and down Chapel Street is always interesting if you keep your eyes peeled or you're a regular and notice the slightest change. However, I must have been asleep when lo and behold I was surprised that the Fantauzzo Gallery was right there in my neighbourhood at 464 Chapel St, South Yarra. Looming over the sidewalk, you can't help but be impressed by its facade. How could I walk past without meandering from my original plan to see the artwork of the great Vincent Fantauzzo!

In Conversation Event

His book 'Unveiled' is proudly on show, which you can purchase, and the author and award-winning artist has already got three in-conversation events on the card this month. The first one on 14 May 6-7.30pm at the Gallery, with two more following on 21 and 28 May 2025. The latter two dates have two sessions on each date - session one from 11am-12.30pm, and 6-7.30pm. If you'd like to attend these In Conversation with Vincent Fantauzzo events, be sure to book your tickets here . It's $55 plus fees to see and hear Vincent in person, or $86.99 plus fees, which includes the signed book. Save money if you go in as a book club group of 10. Savoury fare with wine - sparkling, red & white with soft drinks are on the cards.

First the gallery tour, then the in-conversation event, and lastly an exclusive book signing. The book houses the incredible story of how a street-fighting petty criminal, who was kicked out of school at fourteen, became one of Australia's most celebrated and successful portrait artists. Raised amid poverty and violence on the streets of Melbourne, Vincent Fantauzzo was just a boy when he accepted he would either die very young, become a gangster or end up behind bars. Tormented by a troubled home life and dismissed as a simpleton at school where he struggled to read and write, Vincent projected a violent and frightening persona as a means of self-protection. See more details on your ticketing page .

You might also want to head to the website and discover more about the man behind the book and the art, a man known as one of Australia's most prominent creatives, having won the Archibald People's Choice Award more than any other artist. Melbourne-based Australian portrait artist Vincent is renowned for his award-winning portraits of Heath Ledger, Brandon Walters, Matt Moran, Baz Luhrmann, Asher Keddie and his son Luca. He has won the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize twice, the Archibald Packing Room Prize, and the Archibald People’s Choice Award four times.

At the gallery you'll see some of his famous portraits of his wife, actor and producer Asher Keddie, Hugh Jackman, Matt Moran, Michael Gudenski, Health Ledger, Brandon Walters - the young child actor in the film Australia with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, Aussie Rules footy player Darcy Moore and a host of others. I absolutely adored the full wall mural of Heath Ledger as The Joker (last image), which was beautifully displayed.

The gallery is light, airy, spacious, and being right on Chapel Street, pretty easy to get to via public transport eg, South Yarra Train station, or Tram 78 up and down Chapel Street, and several other trams that come from the city to the Chapel Street Precinct. There's another side to Vincent to experience, his other works of art that are surprisingly abstract. There's also a whole room of drawings on the wall that goes through parts of Vincent's life story, and if I'm not mistaken, included in the book.

It was a breath of fresh air just to walk into the gallery and gaze upon such magnificent portraiture from an artist of today, walking through life in our time, breathing the same air. If you're able to, don't miss the opportunity to see Vincent in conversation in person as mentioned above. Perhaps his book will inspire you as to how life can do a complete turnaround, and the power of art.