It was a great pleasure to have known Bille Brown and I am honored to have had him as subjects of my recent paintings. He was a true gentleman with full of energy. I am so shocked and sad at his passing, he will be deeply missed.
After learning Bille’s interest in Sufi poetry, great knowledge of Ottoman history, and his mystic background, I felt that painting him in a Turkish Bath would be fantastic. I was amazed to learn that he studied Sufi Poetry and story telling in Turkey. He knew Haji Firouz, Mullah Nasreddin, Sohrab and Rustam. What else could I have asked!!! I was extremely excited with the idea of taking him to a Turkish Bath to paint. A well-known Australian Shakespearean actor in a Turkish bath!
It was an honour to have him agreed to pose for me. His trans-like state in the Turkish Bath reminded me of the Sufi Derwishes, hence I named the black and white portrait as Derwish.
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| Portrait of Bille Brown - Derwish (Oil Color Painting on Canvas) |
The coloured one on the other hand has a whole different energy. I believe this portrait reflects Bille’s soft nature and gentle heart. While using cold colours in the background of the Turkish Bath, I used warm colours in Bille’s portrait to create a symbolic contrast, signifying that the warmth of the Bath came from his inner energy, not from the Bath itself.
Portrait of Bille Brown in A Turkish Bath Oil Color Painting on Canvas, 2012
