"Eric Smith was born in Melbourne in 1919 and currently lives and works in Woollahra, Sydney. He is a multiple winner of Australia's major art awards including the Archibald Prize (3), Wynne (2) and Sulman (3) Prizes, Blake Prize (6) and the Helena Rubenstein Travelling Art Scholarship in 1962. Eric's contribution to the Visual Arts in Australia has been recognised with an Australia Council Emeritus Award in 1995. Known for his vibrant use of colour and thick textual paint in his work, many of his artworks are found in the collections of national and state galleries of Australia as well as numerous private and international collections.