Introducing our Limited Edition 60th Anniversary Portraits!

As we continue to celebrate Dr Catherine Hamlin‘s 60th year in Ethiopia, we are delighted to announce that renowned Australian artist Wendy Sharpe has painted two portraits of fistula patients cured by Catherine and the Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia team in Addis Ababa. The portraits have been made especially for Catherine’s supporters in limited edition, collector’s prints.

A Remarkable Artist

Wendy Sharpe’s impact on the Australian art world cannot be understated. She is the quintessential romantic painter; uncompromising and dedicated to her craft. Her understanding of drawing, composition and paint itself has led her to often be described as the painter’s painter. Her artworks are instantly recognisable due to their strong figurative nature, emphasis on narrative and sensuous use of paint.

Wendy Sharpe is acclaimed as one of Australia’s most significant and awarded artists. She has won the Archibald Prize, the Portia Geach Memorial Prize (twice) and the Sulman Prize (judged by Albert Tucker). The receipt of these prizes cement Wendy’s place as one of Australia’s pre-eminent creative voices. She has received many major commissions, including  being appointed the Australian Official War Artist to East Timor, the first woman to do so since World War II. Her stature in global contemporary art is evident through her residencies in China, Mexico and Egypt in addition to her numerous domestic residencies and her 57 solo exhibitions.

Wendy is a great believer in Catherine’s work, having previously generously contributed to our Art for Hamlin auction in 2018. Working on this project, she says: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to make these portraits to help raise money for the wonderful Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation. It is hard to think of a more worthy cause.”

Commemorating 60 Inspiring Years

The Wendy Sharpe portraits are part of our continued celebrations of the 60th anniversary since Drs Reg and Catherine Hamlin first arrived in Ethiopia. The patients featured in these portraits are two women out of over 60, 000 treated by Catherine and her team.

The portraits are entitled ‘Hope Restored’ and ‘Dignity Restored’ and symbolise the impact of fistula repair surgery for so many women. The Hamlin Model of Care has placed respect for patients at the core of its holistic treatment programs. By providing both treatment and rehabilitation to patients free of cost, as well as money for the bus trip home, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has been able to care for the some of the most vulnerable women in Ethiopia. Patients leave Hamlin hospitals able to plan for a future no longer defined by fistula.

Your Opportunity to Own a Piece of History

Wendy’s remarkable portraits have been transformed into high-quality, limited edition prints for you to own. With only 100 of each print available, these portraits are truly a collector’s item

The warmth and chroma of these portraits by Wendy Sharpe will light up any home. Perfect as a pair or as an individual statement piece, these portraits are a fantastic way to celebrate your contribution to Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s efforts to treat women suffering the indignity of obstetric fistula with love and respect.

This is your special opportunity to not only own a unique print by one of Australia’s pre-eminent artists, but to also celebrate the legacy of the incredible Hamlin patients whose resilience inspires us all.

*Click here to view information about our 2020 Art for Hamlin Exhibition by Wendy Sharpe*