Russell Kightley

I am an artist based in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. I have been working as a science illustrator since 1981. I create digital paintings, 3D computer models, animations, and 3D stereo imagery. Currently making abstracts and semi-abstracts. I also write Science Fiction books (Time Aerials, Yesterday Makers, Ecstatic Automata, and Lethe’s Road). My latest abstracts are based on ideas from my books.

I began studying graphic design in the late 70s. After that I worked in traditional hospital-based medical illustration, using pen and ink and water colour. Then medical video production including illustration, animation, scripting, storyboarding, and directing.

AWARDS: My first a ward was a CINE Golden Eagle in 1984 while working at Stanford. 39 more awards followed for the videos I worked on. 35 of those were for videos that I directed, including Gold at Worldfest Houston, and Silver at the British Medical Association.

My images have appeared widely, from Playboy to Nature, in Scientific American, New Scientist, and the BMJ, on the BBC and in Reader's Digest, and in the Richard Dawkins book The Greatest Show on Earth.

Two years dental school, three years graphic design, and a Graduate Diploma in Electronic Arts from the Australian National University.

ConFlux 12 in Canberra (30 September to 3rd October 2016). Qualia's Jungle won the E. G. Harvey Award Australian SF Art 2016.