Gerard Russo is a contemporary Australian artist whose practice bridges drawing, sculpture, and light. Working from his studio in the Dandenong Ranges, he explores the physical and temporal qualities of materials such as copper, charcoal, and illumination. His work traces time and presence through gesture and process, inviting stillness and reflection. Through both illuminated copper works and expressive charcoal drawings, Russo investigates how matter can hold memory and how perception unfolds through making.

Russo studied at RMIT University in Melbourne, where he completed a Bachelor of Fine Art(Media Art) between 2007 and 2009. His early training in media and material experimentation continues to inform a practice that merges hand, light, and surface in quiet dialogue.

He has been recognised as a finalist in several Australian art awards, including the Emerging Artist Award at fortyfivedownstairs Gallery (2019) and the Burrinja Climate Change Biennale at Burrinja Gallery (2017). His work has also been featured across a range of publications and media, including the Through The Creative Door podcast (2024), Yarra Magazine (Summer 2023), Grand Designs Australia (Issue 12.3), Art/Edit (Winter 2023), and the hardcover book Hidden in the Hills – Artists of the Dandenong Ranges (2023). Earlier coverage includes Authentic Light (2017) and The Hillscene Magazine (2015), where he appeared on the cover and in a feature article.

Russo’s recent solo exhibitions include Gatherer at Sol Gallery, Melbourne (2024); ORIHON across various locations in Hokkaido, Japan (2024); Shifting Forms at Earthly Pleasures, Melbourne (2022); Diode at Burrinja Gallery (2018); and End of the Line at the End of the Line Festival in Melbourne (2015).

His work has also appeared in numerous group exhibitions both in Australia and internationally. Recent presentations include Lustre (2025), Small at fortyfivedownstairs (2024), Glimpse at Burrinja Gallery (2024), and Transcend (2023). Russo has participated in The Other Art Fair in Melbourne (2019 and 2025), Interlude at Galleria Azur Berlin (2022), Flanarie at Galleria Azur Madrid (2021), and On Show at ICC Sydney (2022), alongside multiple editions of the Dandenong Ranges Open Studios program. Earlier in his career, his moving-image works were screened at the Melbourne Recital Centre, featured on ABC’s Rage, and included in the ACMI Melbourne International Animation Festival.

Spanning drawing, sculpture, and light installation, Russo’s practice continues to explore how materials record touch, gesture, and time—offering quiet spaces for contemplation and a deepening awareness of perception.