DONALD FRIEND
(1914-1989)

The gift

Ink on paper, 51,5 x 32,5 cm

Signed in the upper left corner“Donald Friend/ Batudjinbal”.

Inscribed to the lower side: “R... has come down to his kitchen mountain village/ on a visit, because he had …. about my house/ He brings a gift of fruit and a … celadon jar”.

Provenance: ambassador Gerardo Carante.
Born in Sidney, Donald Friend is one of the most controversial figures of twentieth-century Australian art. Intuitive designer and extraordinary writer, Friend has traveled extensively throughout his life, staying for more or less long periods in London, Nigeria, Italy, Sri Lanka and - for over a decade - in Bali. In 1990 the Art Gallery of New South Wales - which has a large core of his works - dedicated an important retrospective to him.