Bill Hawkins’ artistic project aims to question the specific logic of art making. Using a methodology that incorporates both cognitive and non-cognitive reasoning it argues for the validity of a non-conceptual position. Hawkins’ oeuvre orchestrates a chaotic assemblage of quotidian materials, complex emotional affects and surprising juxtapositions. The art historical movements of CoBrA, Art Brut and Arte Povera are frequent touchstones for Hawkins’ practice. These movements are quoted for their embrace of intuition, emotion, play and their critique of the art historical value system. In doing so Hawkins questions common narratives surrounding conceptual valuation embedded within the art historical canon. 

Bill Hawkins studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Class of Professor Andreas Schulze 2023–2024. In 2018 he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (First Class Honours) from the Victorian College of the Arts. Hawkins was awarded the major prize of the 2022 Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship (judged by Mitch Cairns). In 2018 he was the recipient of the Stuart Black Memorial Scholarship and the Lowensteins Arts Management Prize. In 2023 Hawkins was a resident at the Cité Internationale des Artes, Paris. Hawkins has exhibited at various galleries nationally including NAP Contemporary, Cellar Door, Hayden’s, West Space, Bus Projects, Hugo Michell Gallery, George Paton Gallery, Brett Whiteley Studios and Bundoorah Homestead. His work has been acquired by the Macquarie Bank Collection, Deakin University Collection and Art Bank Australia. Hawkins is currently completing his placement at the Alfred Hospital as part of his Master of Art Therapy degree.

Collections include: Artbank, Deakin University Collection, Macquarie Group Collection.