The Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills has reopened after a two-year closure, with restoration work improving access and addressing structural problems while retaining the artist’s former home and working space.
The three-storey former T-shirt factory on Raper Street closed in June 2024 for maintenance and upgrades intended to bring the building to contemporary museum standards without removing the character of Whiteley’s studio.
Architecture firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer carried out the refurbishment, which included a new lift, improved accessibility, a replacement roof and a library.
Building Works Expand Beyond Access Upgrade
The project became more extensive after construction began. When the roof was removed, the building was found to be in worse condition than anticipated, requiring broader structural work alongside the accessibility improvements.
The refurbishment also involved updated staircases and facilities, along with measures intended to protect the collection and support the building’s continued museum use.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales owns the property and has operated it as a museum since February 1995.
Preserving the Brett Whiteley Studio
While the building was upgraded, care was taken to retain details associated with Whiteley’s working environment.
Curator Beatrice Gralton closely oversaw the refurbishment, including the treatment of the original floor. Its squeaks and creaks were retained rather than repaired away as part of the works.
Whiteley’s brushes, paints, tools, musical instruments and personal belongings were returned to the upstairs studio after the refurbishment. A green wicker chair closely associated with the artist remains among the preserved contents.
Wendy Whiteley, Whiteley’s former wife and a long-time custodian of his legacy, remained involved throughout the process. She described initially finding the renovated building noticeably changed while its rooms were empty, before Whiteley’s artworks and possessions were put back in place.
The restored space continues a history that began when the Whiteleys bought the Surry Hills warehouse in 1985 and converted it into a combined home and studio. Whiteley worked there until his death in 1992.
Surry Hills Creative Connections
The studio also retains traces of the creative community that occupied parts of Surry Hills during the late 1980s.
Among Whiteley’s record collection, Gralton found a handwritten note from musician Paul Kelly, who was then living around the corner. The note accompanied an album Kelly had recently released.
The museum has also developed an educational role since opening under the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Thousands of students from across the state have visited while studying Whiteley’s work as part of high-school visual arts courses.
Coming Home Accompanies Reopening
The reopening includes Brett Whiteley: Coming Home, an exhibition centred on the artist’s return to Australia in 1969 after years overseas.
The exhibition includes work associated with the period when Whiteley, Wendy Whiteley and their daughter Arkie were living in Fiji, followed by material produced after the family returned to Australia. About 80 works spanning paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, prints and sketchbooks are included.
Works displayed within the reopened studio also include The balcony 2 from 1975, Big orange (sunset) and (Freestanding ultramarine) Palm trees from 1974, and Self-portrait in the studio from 1975–76.
The reopening program has included talks and events alongside the exhibition.
The Brett Whiteley Studio is at 2 Raper Street, Surry Hills. It is open Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm, with free entry.
Published 31-July-2026
