UNDA ARTIST WINS MANDORLA YOUTH ART AWARD

Eighteen year-old Julian Poon, known in Fremantle for his religious paintings on the so called wedding wall in Cliff Street, and whose Texta works were just added to the Notre Dame University art collection, has won the youth prize in the Mandorla Art Award for the second time. He also won it in 2012. Well done Julian!

Roel Looperes

JULIAN POON ART AT NOTRE DAME UNI

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Celia Hammond, Vice Chancellor of Fremantle Notre Dame University, today unveiled seven gorgeous religious artworks by 18 year-old artist Julian Poon, who attended with his parents May and Victor. Julian is already known in Fremantle for his mural, of what is known as the wedding wall, in Cliff Street. He also won the 2012 Mandorla Art Award youth prize.

The works at UNDA are vibrant small works created with Texta and well worth a visit to the UNDA offices in Mouat Street. The university has a substantial art collection of predominantly indigenous art, so join one of the Friday morning tours they conduct each week to look at the heritage buildings and the adaptive re-use of them and get a sneak view of the great art as well.

Notre Dame Uni will be 25 years-old this year so expect some proper celebrations around August, and a book is also in the pipeline.

 

Roel Loopers

RELIGIOUS ART INSTALLATION IN FREMANTLE

There is quite a gorgeous, is it young, naive, primitive? religious art installation in Fremantle‘s Cliff Street on the old heritage facade, used by a trillion of wedding photographers as a backdrop each year. The work by Julian Poon was commissioned by Notre Dame University for this year’s Fremantle Festival, and Vice Chancellor Mark Tannock was  delighted about the work when I photographed him with the artist.

Julian Poon won the Youth Award of the most prestigious Australian Christian art prize, the Mandorla Art Prize 2012, and in 2010 he was the youngest artist ever to exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in London.

The work will stay up for about a year, so wedding photographers will now have an even more glorious and inspiring backdrop and many new couples might well see that as a blessing.

Roel Loopers

I received this correction from the City of Fremantle on Friday: The Julian Poon exhibition on Cliff Street was not commissioned by Notre Dame. The idea was developed by the artist with the City and commissioned by the City for the Fremantle Festival. Notre Dame was invited by the City to partner with us to present the work as part of the festival.