The
Savill Galleries in Paddington has a retrospective of
Donald Friend's works which is a must see. It's rare to get this many Friend paintings together at one time-there are 28 on show- works that come on the market are snapped up immediately by collectors.
Donald Friend studied at the Westminster School of Art in London and served as a gunner in the AIF during WW2. While stationed in Albury he became friends with
Russell Drysdale and the pair were instrumental in establishing the famous art colony at
Hill End.
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| Donald Friend portrait by Greg Weight 1987 |
He's probably most famous for his Bali period although there are some wonderful portrait studies at the Savill from his time in Paris in the 1940s.
Friend discovered Bali in the 1960s when the island paradise was unheard of by most in the West. He moved there and built a magnificent house where over the years he entertained all manner of people from visiting diplomats to pop stars like
Mick Jagger and
David Bowie.
He moved back to Australia in the 80s when Bali became an Antipodean version of the Costa Brava and died in 1989.
Savill Galleries
156 Hargrave Street
Paddington
Tel: +61 2 9327 8311
