Ray Crooke exhibited at the Tate Gallery London in 1963 and was awarded the Archibald Portrait Prize in 1969. His painting trips to Thursday Island, New Guinea, Cape York and Fiji continue to be inspiration for his work. Crooke explores contour and silhouette using rich blocks of colour, and the nuances of positive and negative space in the manner of Gauguin. The artist reveals in his travel diaries and sketchbooks the basis for his paintings - the strong light effects at different times of the day, the colour of the lush foliage after rain, and contrasting golden skin tones.
His paintings are in major collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, state galleries and the Vatican Collection, Rome.