A NEW exhibition inspired by a painting in Leicester Museum & Art Gallery’s collection will open this weekend, bringing the colours of Bali to New Walk.
Procession in Bali: A World in a Painting opens on Saturday (23 March), with the painting by Ian Fairweather (1891-1974) at its heart.
Fairweather was born in Scotland, raised in Jersey and studied at the Slade in London but, after extensive travels in Asia, made his name in Australia.
As well as Fairweather’s painting, the exhibition will showcase Balinese artefacts from the museum’s collection. On display will be archival material, photographs, film and musical instruments used in the traditional Gamelan music of Indonesia.
Guest curator Dr Christine Finn has used three islands associated with Fairweather - Jersey, Bali and Bribie in Australia - to map out the artist’s world and his story.
"I have been following Fairweather since 2017, from Australia and Jersey to - more recently - Bali and Scotland,” said Dr Finn, who was born in Jersey herself.
“I have long wanted to raise his profile in the UK. After viewing Procession in Bali in storage at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, I proposed an exhibition around it and I am delighted that it has finally come to fruition.”
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “We’re very pleased to host the UK’s first exhibition dedicated to Ian Fairweather.
“His painting, Procession in Bali, was painted in 1933 but it’s rarely been on public display since then.
“This exhibition, taking place 50 years after the artist’s death, is an opportunity to rediscover an artist who’s celebrated in Australia but rather overlooked in the UK.”
The new exhibition also includes paintings by Fairweather’s Australian contemporaries, including Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd, from Leicester Museums and Leicestershire County Council’s collections.
Procession in Bali: A World in a Painting opens on Saturday (23 March) at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery and continues until 8 September 2024.
More information is available here
Picture caption: Procession in Bali: Leicester City Council / Estate of Ian Fairweather