About | Olsen Gallery Sydney

OLSEN gallery was established in 1993 and exhibits a broad spectrum of Australian and international art, in the gallery, online, and at art fairs.

Gallery founder and director Tim Olsen has cultivated a stable of artists that presents a comprehensive and poignant view of contemporary art in Australia. With a continually evolving exhibition calendar, the gallery showcases the work of both emerging and established artists. It has nurtured the careers of artists from their first exhibitions following art school and now proudly represents many who are recognised as leading figures in the Australian art scene.

Foremost among the gallery’s artists is the late John Olsen, who is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most esteemed artists. In addition to staging numerous critically acclaimed exhibitions, the gallery has hosted the launch of many books devoted to his distinctive and inventive art practice. Tim Olsen has also negotiated the sale of some of the most significant paintings in John Olsen’s oeuvre to both private and institutional collections. His enthusiasm for curated projects inspired the creation of the dedicated ANNEXE space, located directly behind the main gallery at 74 Queen Street, Woollahra.

With a strong focus on Australian artists, the gallery actively fosters dialogue between Australian art and international peers, with exhibitions of leading contemporary artists from Europe, Asia, and the United States planned for the coming years.

In 2017, the gallery opened a space in New York’s Lower East Side to support both Australian and international contemporary artists. The New York gallery closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024 OLSEN began a partnership with Brett Ballard called 63Jersey. Brett was the former Head of Art at Menzies Art Brands, Sydney. 63Jersey works closely with clients consulting on collection management and the buying and selling of art in the secondary market.

63 Jersey Road Woollahra,
Sydney, NSW 2025 Australia

Tim Olsen born 6th May 1962.
B.A (vis arts) UNSW. Dip. Arts, National art school.

Tim Olsen is a well-regarded figure in the Australian art world and a successful gallery owner. The son of renowned artist John Olsen, A.O. O.B.E., Tim grew up immersed in the world of modern and contemporary art.

In 1993, he opened his own gallery, which has since grown into one of Sydney’s leading art spaces. Over the decades, he has played an active role in supporting both established and emerging Australian artists, many of whom are now prominent figures in the national art scene. In 2017, he extended this commitment internationally with the opening of OlsenGruin in New York, helping to introduce Australian artists to a global audience.

Tim continues to represent a number of significant and seminal Australian artists and estates, including John Olsen, Fred Williams, James Gleeson, and William Delafield-Cook.

Beyond his work as a gallerist, Tim has made a substantial contribution to the broader arts community. He is a foundation member of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, with a particular interest in its conservation department, and a major donor to Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

His long-standing support for education and philanthropy includes three decades of sponsorship of the King’s School Art Prize, 25 years supporting the Tim Olsen Drawing Prize at UNSW, and 25 years of sponsorship of the John Olsen Family Drawing Prize at the National Art School. He has also sponsored a studio space at Artspace, Woolloomooloo, and has served on the University of New South Wales Foundation Board for more than 15 years.

Tim’s commitment to public collections is reflected in his donation of important works, including works on paper and sculpture. Notable gifts include Cherry Hood’s Archibald Prize–winning portrait of Simon Tedeschi to the National Portrait Gallery, and John Olsen’s Self Portrait as Janus to the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

In 2020, he published the bestselling memoir Son of the Brush, which chronicles his personal and professional journey during a formative period in Australian art history. His ongoing involvement in the arts—through leadership, advocacy, and philanthropy—demonstrates a lifelong commitment to Australia’s cultural life.

About the Book