Rex Wood facts for kids

Rex Wood (born April 6, 1906 – died 1970) was an artist from South Australia. He was known for his realistic paintings and lived in Portugal for many years.

Early Life and Art Training

Rex Wood was born Thomas Percy Reginald Wood in a town called Laura, South Australia. He was the oldest of four boys. His grandfather, who was also a minister, was a talented watercolor painter. Rex's brother, Noel Herbert Wood, also became an artist!

Rex studied painting at the South Australian School of Art. His teacher was Mary Packer Harris. He quickly became known for his realistic style using different art materials. His art was shown in exhibitions alongside other famous artists like Ivor Hele and Hans Heysen.

Career and Travels

In 1934, Rex Wood started writing about art for The News newspaper. His own art show in 1935 was very popular. He had another show in 1937 before he left for England and other parts of Europe.

In Europe, he continued his art studies. He attended the Anglo-French Art Centre and the Southampton Row School of Art. During World War II, he spent a lot of time in Portugal. He still kept in touch with Australia, sometimes sending articles to The News. He even bought some artworks for the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Rex visited Australia again in the mid-1950s. After that, he went back to Portugal. He passed away in Lisbon in 1970.

Where to See His Art

Rex Wood's artworks are kept in several important art galleries:

• Art Gallery of New South Wales
• The Hamilton Gallery in Hamilton, Victoria has his portrait called Vera Van Ry.
• The State Library of South Australia has a photograph and an oil painting (from 1964) of Josephine Piazza, also known as "Madame Josephine." Both are by Rex Wood.
• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.