Curated by Ken Scarlett OAM with Simon Lawrie, this exhibition celebrated the life and art of Tina Wentcher, a somewhat overlooked figure in Australian sculpture whose works elegantly unite Eastern and Western aesthetic influences. The artist was born in 1887 in Constantinople and established herself as a significant sculptor in Berlin, before travelling extensively with her husband Julius throughout South East Asia. Here they produced numerous sculptures and paintings, including portraits of the local people and landscapes. After fleeing conflicts in Europe and Asia, the Wentchers arrived in Australia in 1940 and continued to produce work that brought together varied cultural and aesthetic influences. Over several years of research, renowned curator Ken Scarlett traced Wentcher’s sculptures in Germany, Greece, China, Singapore, North America and Australia, with this research and key loans to be presented with McClelland’s representative collection of works by the artist.

Image: Tina Haim shown in her studio c1919–23, Tina Wentcher scrapbook, McClelland archive.