While No place will ever be as orderly or quiet as Martin Place, Glen Waverley in the 1960's nor any wet winter's Sunday as silent or deathly dull. It was from here, soon after my 10th birthday, that our Ansett flight lifted off from Melbourne's Tullarmarine Airport headed for Port Moresby, the capital of the then Territory of Papua New Guinea.
After the aircraft landed and its engines switched off, the doors opened and the dry-season heat mingled with the air conditioning. Stepping out of the aircraft my eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to blazing afternoon tropical light. Along the tall wire fence next to the tarmac were the faces of Papua New Guineans who had come to watch the arrival of the afternoon flight from Australia. Behind them, and indeed surrounding the whole scene, were the foothills of the Owen Stanley Ranges covered with grey green vegetation or black from burning off. And above it all a deep blue cloudless sky. Melbourne was suddenly a distant dream and the vision in front me my new reality.
My childhood and teenage years in Papua New Guinea had a profound affect on my life. My art and personality were shaped by the beauty of PNG and by Melanesian culture and the colors and light of the tropics.
After completing high school in PNG I did my BA in Anthropology, History and Fine Art at the Australian National University in Canberra. As well as Australia and PNG I have lived in the UK, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan and Germany.
Since completing my Master of Visual Art in painting from the Australian National University School of Art and Design, Canberra, I have been living in Dusseldorf, Germany.
While painting and art history are a central focus I have also been involved in film and video projects, radio work, film, prose and poetry writing as well as theatre and performance. I am interested in the hold memories have over us, the strange and quirky aspects of everyday life and the things that go on beneath the observable surface of life.
I also work as an executive coach and trainer in intercultural communication and creativity internationally.
My work is in private, public and corporate collections and I have exhibited in Australia and Europe.
If you are interested in any of the work just contact me over the contact form.
Piechy Wines
It 2012 the fictional dog I created 'Piechy' became the front-dog, animal ambassador, mascot and brand name for a selection of Australian wines sold by Metro Cash+ Carry (Germany). The wine promotion was a great success and Piechy wines became brand of the year in Metro C+C Wine and Spirits.
Shoctopus
In 2014 I did the illustrations for 'Shoctopus', a collection of poems for children by Harry Laing.