Waverley Leader (Australia)
August 22, 2006 Tuesday
WGV Edition

Cultures connect in art

A NOVICE and an old hand will come together to exhibit their
paintings at Highway Gallery.

Diane Williamson said the Cultural Connections exhibition with
Beatrice Manoukian would celebrate both Aussie and Armenian cultures.

Williamson, a Mt Waverley resident, said a mutual admiration of each
other’s work brought them together.

"The message in both our work vibrates very clearly," Williamson
said.

"We are all part of the one consciousness in the universe.

"Through this exhibition, we both came to realise that the many
ideals we shared is universal and not our own personal discovery."

Williamson has been painting since she was two, but this will be her
first public exhibition, while Manoukian, who lives in Chadstone, has
been showing her paintings for a long time.

"Since we met, we have both worked closely together for the past 12
months to present a body of some 60 works celebrating our cultural
identities and the many things we share in common," she said.

Manoukian said the large showcase was a "historical and educational
journey through the passage of time and background of both artists".

"Some paintings tell a historical story, some are of childhood
memories, and some symbolically empathise with the difficulties
migrants experience in resettlement," she said.

"Other paintings simply celebrate our beautiful country Australia
and the joy of living here."

Cultural Connections runs from September 1 to 14 at The Highway
Gallery, 14 The Highway, Mt Waverley.