Michael Zavros is a familiar face in the art world – literally. For more than two decades, this leading Australian artist has put himself, his family and his fondness for beautiful things, from luxury cars to high fashion, at the centre of his practice. Best known for his hyperrealist paintings and self-portraits, Zavros also applies his aesthete’s eye and astonishing technical skill to sculpture, photography, film and performance. His work confronts some viewers as much as it captivates others – is it a critique of consumerism, or a celebration of it? For Zavros, it’s both: an exquisite paradox that’s all the more enticing for its refusal to moralise.

CARODY CULVER: In 2023, Brisbane’s QAGOMA exhibited The Favourite, a major retrospective of your work over the last twenty-five years. In putting together the exhibition, did anything surprise you about the evolution of your artistic preoccupations? Did you find yourself viewing particular works in a new light?