Coming to prominence in the 1980s when several of his works were included in Australian Perspecta and the Sixth Biennale of Sydney, William Robinson has become one of Australia's most respected contemporary landscape painters. Maintaining a rich engagement with his natural surroundings ­ a farm at Birkdale, the Gold Coast hinterland rainforest, the beach town of Kingscliff - Robinson's paintings, watercolours, pastels, lithographs and drawings portray the splendour of nature with an accomplished vision that combines multifaceted perspectives and refreshingly inventive compositions.

Born in Brisbane in 1936, he developed an interest in both art and music in early life that has continued throughout his life: although painting plays a preeminent role, music and the piano inform his creative practice. After spending much of his life engaged as an art teacher, Robinson has concentrated solely on painting since 1989 and has spent time in Europe visiting galleries and making lithographs. Robinson has exhibited widely since 1967, and has been the winner of several prestigious art awards, including the Archibald Prize for portraiture in 1987 and 1995, and the Wynne Prize for landscape painting in 1990 and 1996. His work is represented in the National Gallery of Australia, all state galleries, university collections and amongst other international collections, the Museum of Modern Art, New York.