The accidental exhibition

WHEN Friederike Krishnabhakdi-vasilakis travelled to Sydney to research her PhD she didn't intend on bringing home an art exhibition.

However, the scholar whose archives she was perusing that day happened to have a talented artist for a wife, Georgina Beier, whose works captivated the Art Theory teacher.

"I was sitting there looking at these marvellous paintings and I thought they were really nice, and I asked, "?Do you have any publications of these, or photos because I would like to bring them home with me'," Frederike said.

Georgina Beier admitted she had never really exhibited the works, so Frederike asked her then and there if she would like to do a solo exhibition at Wollongong University.

Georgina's exhibition was opened in the FCA at the University last week.

It is influenced by her experiences with tribal people in Papua New Guinea and Nigeria.

Georgina was born in England in 1938 and began her career as an artist when she moved to Nigeria when she was 21. Since then she has lived for long periods in New Guinea, Germany and Australia and has exhibited artwork in more than 30 solo exhibitions all over the world.

The exhibition consists of three rooms, each containing a different theme of artwork, and includes a costume made by Georgina for use in a tribal dance in Nigeria.

"I was really struck by the colour. I think they are just captivating," Frederike said of the artworks.

"Every time you look at them you discover something new and they have a lot of movement and flow and that's just awesome.

"I think it's quite exciting to get someone who has been moving between cultures to exhibit their art."

The exhibition is open now and will close on May 10.

All are welcome.