The mythology of the artist is everywhere. For much of the past century, a rotating carousel of names—Picasso, Monet, Warhol, Leonardo—has tattooed itself on the public imagination, shaping our inherited ideas of what it means to be an artist. Museums have reinforced the legacies of heroic artists through monographic blockbuster exhibitions, while tea towels, placemats, calendars, and an entire industry of consumer knick-knacks have carried these myths into everyday life. In this lecture, art historian Tai Mitsuji examines the self-fashioning of the artist and the canonisation of scoundrels. Drawing on examples from across art history, he traces the web of exaggerated claims, cultivated personas, institutional endorsements, and commercial afterlives that have helped produce the modern myth of the artist. Rather than asking simply whether these myths are true or false, the lecture investigates how they are produced, circulated, and sustained—by artists, critics, museums, and audiences alike. We often assume that when paint dries, clay hardens, or film is finally developed, the artist’s work is complete. Yet, as this lecture will show, the mythmaking is often only just beginning.
Tai Mitsuji is an art historian, curator, and PhD candidate (ABD) in the History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University. His research traces visual representations of forced migration from the nineteenth century to the present, with a particular focus on how images shape—and sometimes unsettle—ideas of identity and displacement. He recently returned to Australia after a year of research in Paris, following a year at the Harvard Art Museums, where he worked on two major exhibitions: The Solomon Collection: Dürer to Degas and Beyond and Edvard Munch: Technically Speaking. His work has been recognised with the 2024 Bowdoin Prize and the 2024–25 Krupp Foundation Dissertation Research Fellowship, as well as the Marshall Field V. Fellowship and Frank Knox Fellowship. Alongside his academic work, he has written on contemporary art for publications including ArtReview, Artist Profile, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Where I Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf
Cost | $25 + booking fee
Capacity | 50 participants (bookings essential)
Refund policy | For a refund, cancel your booking at least 1 week before the event date. Please note that booking fees are not refundable.
Transport & arrival | Accessible via buses 324, 325 and 326, or a short walk from Edgecliff Station and Double Bay Wharf. After-hours parking is available at Woollahra Council Chambers (536 New South Head Rd, Double Bay NSW 2028). For ride-share drop-off, please request Council Chambers.
Image | Courtesy of Tai Mitsuji