Sidney Nolan, the 20th-century painter perhaps best known for his signature geometric Ned Kellys, is one of Australia's most renowned artists. He's also known for having had a deep personal connection to what is now Heide Museum of Modern Art – hence it makes perfect sense that the gallery is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a fresh new exhibition on the famous artist.
Sidney Nolan: Search for Paradise presents 81 works from the artist that look back over his career and his relationship to Heide (and its original owners, John and Sunday Reed). The exhibition showcases Nolan's work through six themes. These include Childhood Heaven (peering into Nolan's youth growing up in St Kilda), Garden of Eden (Nolan's formative years creating at Heide), The Promised Land (following Nolan's travels to Europe, Africa and Antarctica in the 1950s) and Paradise Garden (which brings Nolan's 'Paradise Garden' drawings to life as an immersive installation).
Heide head curator Kendrah Morgan says: "Sidney Nolan: Search for Paradise is an important project for Heide. It acknowledges Nolan’s significance to not only the history of Heide and its reputation as a crucible of modernism in Australia, but also to its legacy."
Sidney Nolan: Search for Paradise opens Feb 19.