Born in 1945 in Melbourne, Australia, artist Derek Hambly graduated in 1967 from Caulfield College in Melbourne, currently known as Monash University. In 1967, Derek Hambly was the only artist invited and allowed on site to draw and paint the construction of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. He was commissioned by the museum's architect, Sir Roy Grounds, to record an exciting phase of this interesting and important building. Images of Derek's historic drawings and paintings are in the gallery's archival files and remain as significant documents of a key moment in Melbourne's cultural history. In 1969 Derek mounted his first solo exhibition at Gallery 99 in Melbourne. As a professional artist in Australia, he became known in high art circles as “One of the most powerful young abstract painters in Australia.” In 1999, America beckoned. Derek answered with a solo exhibition at The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. A rapid-fire succession of shows throughout the east coast and Midwest followed. Some of Derek’s recent exhibitions include solo shows at Steve Martin Galleries of Miami and New Orleans. Other shows during this period include Gruen Galleries of Chicago and Caelum Gallery in New York City. Derek Hambly Studios is located in Stoughton, Wisconsin, and Derek is currently represented by Gallerie MK of Chicago, Steve Martin Galleries of Miami and New Orleans, Pollock Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, Linden Gallery, of Ellison Bay, Wisconsin and the Yunnan Provence in China, Artasia of Milwaukee, WI, Galerie Matisse, of Lake Geneva, WI, Fanny Garver Gallery of Madison, WI, and Cholke d'Capri Fine Art Gallery in Rockford ,IL.