Cairns Art Gallery holds a significant collection of works by two artists whose love of travel brought them to far north Queensland over a number of years. In different ways the works of Peter Kingston and Euan Macleod respond to the vibrancy of life in the tropics - celebrating its unique weather patterns, landscapes and people.

Sydney-based artist Peter Kingston was a contemporary and close friend of artists Martin Sharp and Brett Whiteley. He is best remembered for capturing the moods and movement of Sydney Harbour, with its perpetual ebb and flow of ferries and human activity, and the iconic Sydney Opera House.

However, from the 1990s Kingston often visited Cairns and was commissioned to produce works based on his experiences of the region. A passionate conservationist, he was an active supporter of the 2005 Save Hinchinbrook campaign.

The Gallery’s works by Kingston demonstrate his ability as a plein air artist to quickly and empathetically capture a particular moment or place in time.

New Zealand-born artist Euan Macleod moved to Australia in 1981. Based in Sydney, he established himself as an important artist, winning the coveted Archibald Prize in 1999, the Sulman Prize in 2001, and the Blake Prize in 2006.

Like Kingston, Macleod has travelled extensively. Between 2009 and 2012 he travelled around far north Queensland, and his works on paper from this period are an extraordinary visual diary of life in the tropics.

Both Kingston and Macleod have been generous patrons of the Gallery and their works offer a unique and personal view of what makes our region a special place in the world’s tropical zone.