About

Photo: Norval Watson in 2026 with a detail of his painting, “Vincent: The Black Shadow”

Bio

Norval Watson was born in Australia in 1957. He sketched prolifically in his childhood and began building custom surfboards in his early teens. After leaving school Norval worked in print media, and made several short films. In 1990 he created a pop-up exhibition of paintings in a warehouse in South Melbourne, and has exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions since then. In 2006 Norval’s spinal cord was crushed in a cycling accident and he became an incomplete quadriplegic. He has lived and worked in Byron Bay, Australia since 1995, and he works at creating new art every day.

CV

Solo exhibitions:

2013-2026 Instagram, Facebook

2010 Tigerfish Gallery, Torquay, Victoria

Photo: “Passing Showers”, 2010

2007 Tigerfish Gallery, Torquay

1998 Something old, new, borrowed, blue… Ruskin St, Byron Bay, NSW

1997 Norval’s Junk World, Byron Bay

1997 Eclectic Selection, Byron Bay

1996 Orient Restaurant, Byron Bay

1995 Drawings, Saratoga Club, Melbourne, Victoria

1994 Works on paper, Cafe Primavera, Geelong, Victoria

1994 Lobby show, Napier Street Theatre, Melbourne

1994 Moved to abstraction, Saratoga Club, Melbourne

1991 Enter the Dreaming, Base, South Melbourne

1990 Base, South Melbourne

1988 Longforest Gallery, Central Victoria

Sound and music:

2009 Debut album “Unwell” released on Soundcloud and CD.

1980s Various soundtrack work on feature films and mini-series

Group Exhibitions:

2015 Crescent Art Classic, Crescent Head, NSW

2012 Byron Art Classic, Byron Bay, NSW

2011 Food, still@thecenter, Byron Bay, NSW

2011 Byron Art Classic

2000 Soul Surfer 2, Tugun, Queensland

1999 Salon de Refuses (Archibald Prize), S.H.Ervin Gallery, Sydney

Photo: “Self-Portrait: Sale of the Century”, 1999, shown as the only painting in the lobby at the Salon des Refuses (see above)

1999 Soul Surfer, Broadbeach Gallery, Qld.

1996 Kicking Arts, Byron Bay

1996 Groundswell, Epicentre, Byron Bay

1994 Across the Rip, Tidal Wave IV, Sorrento, Victoria

1994 Summer show, Torqing Arts, Torquay, Victoria

1993 Struggle and Protest, Torqing Arts, Torquay

1993 Target Art Award, Geelong, Victoria

1993 The Big Break, Torquay

1993 Tidal Wave 2, Queenscliff, Victoria

1992 Surfering Artists , Torquay

1992 Tidal Wave 1 Queenscliff

Murals:

1998-2000 Peter Pan’s Travel Centre, Byron Bay, NSW

1996 Byron Bay Bunkhouse, Byron Bay

1990 Bortolotto’s Cafe Menis, St Kilda, Victoria

1988 Data Express, South Melbourne, Victoria

1988 Triffids Restaurant, Philip Island, Victoria

1988 El Tropo Restaurant, Lancelin, WA

Film and video:

2000-2021 – various short videos: Vimeo Channel … YouTube channel

1988 – Camera, “Savage Cuts II”, for Rip Curl

1987 – Co-producer, “Savage Cuts”, with Peter “PK” Kirkhouse, for Rip Curl

Photo: Tom Curren, Easter Reef, still from “Savage Cuts” (see above)

1980 “Zok”, 16 mins, 16mm

Published photography:

Australian Surfing World, Tracks Magazine, Surf Australia, Surfer USA, Surfing USA, Breakaway, Freesail