​​Prof. Luke — aka The Colour Professor

Luke is a dedicated and forward-thinking professional known for his commitment to excellence and his ability to bring innovative solutions to complex challenges. With a reputation for integrity, creativity, honest communication and collaboration, Luke has consistently demonstrated leadership across the pigment and colour industries worldwide, earning the respect of colleagues and industry peers alike. His passion even after work hours continues with new technology in recycling metal, plastic and chemicals into new colour and inks for consumer packaging printing where more than 50% of pigments are used and unfortunately end up in the bin and not recycled. Recycling continues to drive Luke as he makes meaningful contributions in every endeavour he pursues here. Prof. Luke is the ultimate chromatic maverick, equal parts scientist, chemist and artist, a chemical innovator and experimentalist, also a philanthropic colour curator who turned his childhood chaos with children's chemistry sets and automotive waste into colour products that are enjoyed and used in more then 20+ industries worldwide.

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Humble begins: Basically born holding his mother’s oil paints,  the sign of Luke's colourful future... An only child of a Polish father (a mechanic) and Sicilian mother (also a mechanic) who was also a part-time art teacher, art author and book illustrator. Moving to Sydney at a young age where his parents had a mechanical repair garage. Not attending school in earlier years as Luke did not speak, he would hand spanners and tools to his parents or dis-assembling anything available to him to see how it works. Childhood dreams of being an inventor or famous artists started early followed by an expensive colour addiction with his mum's oil paints and a creative mindset to make things.

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Growing up: Luke’s lifelong obsession with colour really ignited at age six when he was removing lead plates from dead car batteries at parents automotive workshop, when discovering lead oxide crystals. This led to mixing other metals and acids to find new crystal type precipitates. At age nine Luke converted the workshop garages unused 'out back dunny' into his first colour lab filled with colour experiments. At age eleven Luke was chrome plating his friends BMX bikes, and at age thirteen embarked on explosive chemical experiments, from Lead, Copper, or Chrome metals and acids, until the AFP Australian Federal Police’s bomb squad politely suggested he stick to only the experiments in his kid's chemistry sets, NOT explosives and pyrotechnics in local park, the school oval or friends backyards.

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World-leading pigment chemist: Luke has spent over 24 years synthesizing and curating the world's largest catalogue of pigments in human history, well over 10,000 colour hues, all manufactured in Australia's only pure‑pigment factory. Not one chemist in the world has made more individual pigment shades.

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Bright‑pink obsessed colour scientist: A lifelong “colour addict” and bright pink as his favourite colour Luke is one of the very few scientist constantly looking for new colours and colour chemistry breakthroughs by dedicating time in his Colour Lab.​

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Down to earth Professor: Luke is a interesting and practical lecturer across all Australian universities and tech colleges for blending chemistry, science and art. Sharing the secret hidden experiences and tools in the industry to the next generation of colour users, colour professionals, and scientists with bright and colourful student practicals and demonstrations, whilst always inspiring chemistry, science, art, and design students to fully understand the technical attributes and correct colour process.

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Years beyond university: After completing two electrical and chemical university degrees fate would find Luke again with another visit from the AFP bomb squad, but this time it was to convince Luke to work for the AFP bomb squad. Luke worked @AFP, and still occasionally consults, but it doesn't fulfil Luke's creative mindset of making things uniquely bright and colourful. 

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A rebellious scientist: who created explosive pigments by dissolving found old coins, lead and acid from car batteries, sparking interest from bomb‑squad agencies before pivoting back to chrome plating and candy colour dipping push bikes. 

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An open‑source alchemist: Luke often reveals rare chemical formulas that he has discovered in making new colours and pigments, stating "As the Earth made and owns the sciences,

I don't believe in keeping secrets to colour, nobody owns the colours, so others can reproduce these pigments themselves". 

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Always there to help: Luke has collaborated with world-renowned artists, tattooists, cosmetic houses, resin creators, industrial clients, and all other colour user industries, turning mere pennies into pounds of bespoke pigments at a fraction of the cost of mainstream art-supply materials. "Colour should be inspiring, bright or earthy, available, but most of all affordable".

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Philanthropist of colour: Luke donates proceeds from colour sample sales to worthy causes such as Beyond Blue and Fred Hollows Foundation, blending colour beauty with benevolence. Embracing “colour for a cause” initiatives with Lucid Colour for customers that reach out on instagram DM's @LucidColour ​ 

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Want to Co-lab with Luke / Lucid Colour / or Colour Lab:

Luke has worked for over 10,000 individual clients, businesses, companies, and many famous brands. Reach out here or you

can follow us on instagram for free samples, Colour giveaways or colour co-labs @LucidColour ​ ​​ or  Direct message us here