Sean Layh

About the artist

Sean Layh is an Australian-based figurative painter working primarily in oil and drawing. Largely self-taught, his practice is rooted in the traditions of Western figurative painting, while drawing on classical literature, mythology, theatre and the history of art. His large-scale narrative paintings bring together contemporary sitters with characters and stories inherited from the past, exploring how these cultural narratives can remain vivid and meaningful in the present.

Sean Layh is the 1st Prize Winner of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize RAYMAR Painting 2026

Artwork Themes & Subject Matter

Sean Layh’s work explores themes of mythology, classical literature, theatre, history, human nature, mortality, love, tragedy and the passage of time. His paintings frequently draw on Greek mythology and the literary canon of Western culture, particularly Shakespeare and classical Greek drama, reimagining familiar stories through contemporary figures and settings. He is interested in the enduring psychological and emotional truths contained within these narratives, and in the ways they continue to speak to contemporary life.

Press

Sean Layh’s paintings have been featured in notable magazine and online sources including Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine

CV

Awards

2026

Packing Room Prize, Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Best in Show, 18th International ARC Salon

Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, First Prize Winner RAYMAR Painting Award

Sheng Xinyu Art Award, 18th International ARC Salon

Fine Art Connoisseur Award, 18th International ARC Salon

Fashion Week San Diego Award, 18th International ARC Salon

First Place, Figurative, 18th International ARC Salon

Third Place, Imaginative Realism, 18th International ARC Salon

Best Marine Themed Work, 18th International ARC Salon

2025

Best Figurative Award, Almenara Art Prize

Círculo de la Amistad Exhibition Award

Certificate of Excellence, Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition

2024

Certificate of Excellence, Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition

See also

9

PAINTINGANIMAL ARTOILSURREAL ART

Gina Barnes

2023

Exceptional Merit award, Portrait Society of America International Portrait Competition

The BoldBrush Award, BoldBrush Painting Competition

Selected Group Exhibitions

18th International ARC Salon Exhibition, Sotheby’s, New York, NY. United States

Archibald Prize, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

Figurativas, Museu Europeu d’Art Modern (MEAM), Barcelona, Spain

Mimesis, Museu Europeu d’Art Modern (MEAM), Barcelona, Spain