By Tate Papworth
What’s your connection to Brimbank?
I came to Australia in 1985. My family was allowed to come here as refugees because in 1980 there was a major earthquake in the South of Italy that destroyed buildings, flattened entire villages and killed thousands of people. I’ve moved around Victoria a bit and have been in Deer Park for the past six years.
Moving as a refugee must have been a challenge.
I didn’t know any English when I came here and I was terrible at singing songs, but I did anyway. It was a slow process, but it’s been great.
What do you like best about Brimbank?
Like St Kilda was turned around, this area, too, is up and coming. I can see new infrastructure coming up. I think public art also plays a major part in communities. I think the public art and cafe culture in this area is really making great strides.
What do you think could be done better?
I think there’s an inferiority complex out here. For too many years there’s been an inferiority complex that this is an area with high unemployment and undesirable. This area is flourishing and I’d like to see people start to believe in themselves.
Tell us about your exhibition.
This is my first solo exhibition. All the pieces are done on recycled material because I like to be inspired by different shapes. Painting is my passion. I’ve done it on and off since I was a child.
Recycled material is a unique way to create art.
All of us humans come in all sorts of different shapes and forms. Some of us have scars and ugliness underneath. I recycle pieces and try to apply colour and apply life, which is in a way what we do with ourselves also. I found some of these in the rubbish, others have holes in them. There’s no theme or style – it’s the surface that inspires me.
