BY KEITH JACKSON
THE PROMINENT SCULPTOR AND ARTIST Hal Holman OL OAM – whose contribution to Papua New Guinea culture is legendary – is holding his first exhibition on Queensland’s Gold Coast today and Sunday.
If you live in the area, you might want to mosey along to the Community Hall, 5 Mildura Drive in Helensvale.
The skies are grey and the showers insistent on a dull Gold Coast today, but this exhibition - essentially a Holman retrospective - sparkles with vibrant art.
You can meet the artist himself and view more than 40 sculptures and paintings – including some so venerable that he refuses to part with them.
The exhibition starts this morning and is open today and tomorrow from 9am-5pm.
I’ll be visiting it myself at 11 o’clock Sunday and look forward to meeting any PNG Attitude readers who may be around at the time.
Meanwhile we feature here a couple of the artworks on display.
The stylised crucifixion of a soldier is a self portrait of Hal Holman and echoes his experiences as a commando in PNG during World War II.
Hal, now nearly 90, is as prolific and lively as ever, and he and his works of art are adornments to the Gold Coast.
I was privileged to preview Hal's exhibition on Friday afternoon while he was setting up. A most impressive display of superb paintings and sculptures created by Hal over many years. So impressive, two prints already carry red 'sold' stickers on my behalf.
Those with PNG backgrounds will be transported back to happy memories of the people, scenery and animal life that made PNG such a vibrant place to live.
I can highly recommend this exhibition to Attitude readers living in the Brisbane, Gold Coast and surrounding areas.
Posted by: Murray Bladwell | 10 December 2011 at 01:46 PM