Friday, January 1, 1999

WE ARE AUSTRALIAN - Travelling Exhibition, 1999-2002

In 1999 I was invited to be a part of an exhibition called 'We Are Australian'.  It was curated by David Thomas and supported by the 'Living in Harmony' initiative of the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

The original exhibition was at the Victorian Arts Centre as part of the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts.  It then travelled to Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Armidale, Hobart, Albury/Wodonga, Brisbane and Geelong over the next few years...whew!....

Each artist was given a board of the same size to work on.  I created a work based on the Mackay Family crest - it just happens to be a fist holding a sword - the family motto is 'manu forti' - 'strong armed'.  I thought it was a particularly (in)appropriate image for an exhibition based on living in harmony....



'Manu Forti' oil on board, 40cm x 30cm, 1999