Max Lawrence White

Abstraction 2026 continues today and includes these two works by Melbourne based artist Max Lawrence White: Max Lawrence White (b. Melbourne) is a painter whose practice is centred on the perceptual and conceptual possibilities of colour. Working within and against the traditions of geometric abstraction and hard-edge painting, White explores the interplay between structure and contingency, often employing systems of chance to generate colour relationships and compositional outcomes. White’s earlier works were influenced in part by his Japanese heritage, drawing on spatial and compositional logics derived from tatami mat arrangements, where structure is governed by culturally embedded systems of order and auspicious placement. This emphasis on rule-based organisation continues to inform his practice, even as it is tested and expanded. This is evident in recent bodies of work such as Measures Concluded (2021), where modular compositions are constructed through processes of layering, cutting and reconfiguration, and where mis-tint paints introduce subtle disruptions within otherwise ordered chromatic systems. In A Challenge of Biases (2025), modular geometric structures are likewise used as a fixed framework; however, colour is determined through algorithmic processes in which palettes are generated via randomised computational procedures. Here, chance is introduced at the level of selection rather than material, positioning painting as a negotiation between control and indeterminacy. Across these bodies of work, White positions painting as a site where order and indeterminacy coexist. White holds a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) from RMIT University (2011) and an Honours degree from the Victorian College of the Arts (2012). He has exhibited extensively across Australia, including multiple solo exhibitions with Artereal Gallery, Sydney, and Five Walls Gallery, Melbourne, where he is represented. His work has been featured in publications including Aesthetica, VAULT, and The World of Interiors, and is held in collections including the Justin Art House Museum (Melbourne) and COMO Art (Netherlands). @maxlawrencewhite @missy_u_

Please join us this Friday from 6-9pm for the opening of the much anticipated Abstraction 2026. Abstraction 2026 brings together the work of twelve artists working in abstraction and non-objective and includes: Kubota Fumikazu @kuboat Sean Hogan @sphogan Daniel Hollier @danhollier Franky Howell @frankyhats Emma Langridge @emma.langridge Keisuke Matsuura @keisuke_matsuura Sarah Robson @sarahsrobson Britt Salt @brittsalt Vivian Cooper Smith @viviancsmith Lachlan Stonehouse @lachlanstonehouse Max Lawrence White @maxlawrencewhite Michael Vandorpe @michael_s._l._vandorpe For a catalogue of available works contact Missy at [email protected] @missy_u_

138, 171, 7, 52, 168, 101, 91 2023 Acrylic and enamel on board, brushed aluminum frame 307mm x 307mm x 40mm - part of 10/2026 - a group show at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery. Curated by Stephen Wickham. • • • • • 📸 : Chris Bowes • • @stephen_mclaughlan_gallery @stephen_wickham @five_walls • • #australianart #geometricabstraction #contemporarypainting #colour #melbourneart

142, 106, 49, 148, 149, 154, 175 2023 Acrylic and enamel on board, brushed aluminum frame 307mm x 307mm x 40mm - part of “10/2026” - a group show at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery. Curated by Stephen Wickham. • • • • • 📸 : Chris Bowes - @quisbie @stephen_mclaughlan_gallery @stephen_wickham @five_walls • • #australianart #geometricabstraction #melbourneart #artcollector #colour

48, 1, 192, 87, 123, 147, 153 2023 Acrylic and enamel on board, brushed aluminum frame 307mm x 307mm x 40mm - part of “10/2026” - a group show at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery. Curated by Stephen Wickham. • • • • • @stephen_mclaughlan_gallery @stephen_wickham @five_walls • • #colour #australianart #geometricabstraction #artcollector #melbourneart

I’m part of this nifty little group show. Curated by Stephen Wickham. Commences tomorrow. Opening drinks on Saturday, 2 - 4. @stephen_mclaughlan_gallery @stephen_wickham

A painting of mine from 2023, next to works by Fred Williams and Sidney Nolan. Part of private collection in Melbourne.

This time last year at @studiokura . The best. ここに呼んでくれてありがとう ❤️🇯🇵

Last Day to see “A Challenge of Biases” by Max Lawrence White, the exhibition concludes at 5pm today. To receive a catalogue of available works please email Missy at [email protected] Pictured: 173, 200, 123, 70, 30, 17, 39 2024, acrylic and enamel on board, aluminium frame 90.7 x 90.7 x 4 cm @maxlawrencewhite @missy_u_

Last day to see my exhibition, A Challenge Of Biases. Open today, 12pm - 5pm. Five Walls, level 1/119 Hopkins St, Footscray. Thanks to everyone that’s seen it so far. @five_walls

Last days to see “A Challenge of Biases” by Max Lawrence White: “A Challenge of Biases” presents a body of new work that uses chance to dictate the creation of new paintings. In this collection the artist explores the possibilities of palette and composition through taking decision out of their hands. 210 colours from the artist’s studio were numbered then fed into a random sequence generator. The generator was programmed to select combinations of seven numbers at random, the correlating colors of which became the palette of each work. A single composition was used for each painting, made up of 2 rectangles and 5 squares enclosed within a square structure. This structure brings balance and order to the otherwise chaotic colour palette. By allowing randomness to dictate the selection of colours, each painting becomes a blend of unexpected hues, inviting viewers to contemplate the interaction of colour.  Through this innovative approach, the artist seeks to challenge their creativity and biases and invite viewers to engage with the unpredictable nature of colour. Each painting is a unique expression of the intersection between chance and design that is open to interpretation from the viewer. - Max Lawrence White is a Melbourne-based artist whose practice is primarily concerned with painting. White’s practice is centred on colour and its tendency to be inexhaustible within its combinations, readings and meanings. Through his works, White aims to present an unconventional experience and a challenge to how the viewer perceives colour. White has exhibited widely across Sydney and Melbourne, and has recently completed a 4 week residency in southern Japan.  White’s work has appeared in publications including VAULT Magazine and Aesthetica. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at RMIT in 2011 and went on to complete an Honours degree in Fine Art at the Victorian College of The Arts in 2012. Pictured: 1. 119, 46, 139, 125, 206, 45, 40 2. 150, 162, 121, 177, 78, 113, 141 3. 190, 74, 34, 172, 90, 80, 111 4. 211, 84, 203, 103, 138, 187, 117 All 2025 acrylic and enamel on board, aluminium frame. 60.7 x 60.7 x 4cm @maxlawrencewhite @missy_u_

Continuing this week at the gallery is “A Challenge of Biases” by Max Lawrence White: “A Challenge of Biases” presents a body of new work that uses chance to dictate the creation of new paintings. In this collection the artist explores the possibilities of palette and composition through taking decision out of their hands. 210 colours from the artist’s studio were numbered then fed into a random sequence generator. The generator was programmed to select combinations of seven numbers at random, the correlating colors of which became the palette of each work. A single composition was used for each painting, made up of 2 rectangles and 5 squares enclosed within a square structure. This structure brings balance and order to the otherwise chaotic colour palette. By allowing randomness to dictate the selection of colours, each painting becomes a blend of unexpected hues, inviting viewers to contemplate the interaction of colour.  Through this innovative approach, the artist seeks to challenge their creativity and biases and invite viewers to engage with the unpredictable nature of colour. Each painting is a unique expression of the intersection between chance and design that is open to interpretation from the viewer. - Max Lawrence White is a Melbourne-based artist whose practice is primarily concerned with painting. White’s practice is centred on colour and its tendency to be inexhaustible within its combinations, readings and meanings. Through his works, White aims to present an unconventional experience and a challenge to how the viewer perceives colour. White has exhibited widely across Sydney and Melbourne, and has recently completed a 4 week residency in southern Japan.  White’s work has appeared in publications including VAULT Magazine and Aesthetica. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Art at RMIT in 2011 and went on to complete an Honours degree in Fine Art at the Victorian College of The Arts in 2012. Pictured: 1. 150, 162, 121, 177, 78, 113, 141 2. 206, 169, 159, 128, 40, 37, 23 3. 202, 112, 76, 61, 140, 150, 12 4. 170, 194, 11, 182, 35, 161, 43 All 2025 acrylic and enamel on board, aluminium frame. 30.7 x 30.7 x 4cm @maxlawrencewhite @missy_u_