Roger Kemp’s contribution to the development of abstract painting in Australia is substantial. “As a process of spiritual meditation Kemp used recurring symbolic abstraction to express the universal theme of human vulnerability. His basic formal units were the square, the circle and the cross, often fragmented and multiplied across the picture plane, creating a structured rhythm between figure and ground.” Reference: Barry Pearce, Parallel Visions, AGNSW, 2002, p.108.

Roger Kemp has been the recipient of many awards and prizes, including the Blake Prize in 1968 and 1970. His work is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, many state and regional collections, Artbank, many corporate collections and many private collections in Australia, the UK and USA.