Brushstrokes of History

Brushstrokes of History explores early Australian history from a personal and artistic perspective. Coloured through my reactions and artwork, the inspiring stories of our past are presented within an extraordinary 50-piece exhibition of carefully curated artworks and accompanying book.

My dedication to complete this series has now spanned over eighteen years and was motivated by my journey of exploration of the often misunderstood, or lesser-known, aspects of early Australian history. With a focus on resilience, resistance, and the enduring consequences of the European invasion, these confronting and inspiring stories come to life on canvas as they capture significant moments from the past, and offer a visual storytelling experience like no other.

– David Hart – Artist and Author

Each painting invites us to ask questions and explore more, just as the accompanying text shows that David has done. I sincerely hope that viewers of these paintings and readers of the accompanying book take up this invitation. The journey may be harrowing and confronting, but you will discover amazing stories and inspiring people; begin to understand how the Indigenous past and present connect, and perhaps begin to glimpse what an honest, truly Australian history might look like.

– Paul Irish – Historian and Archaeologist. (Excerpt from Brushstroke of History Book)

I have included a URL link below that more broadly describes the exhibition both through imagery and through a short documentary-style interview. This exhibition was originally titled “Our Secret War”, in case you were wondering why that name is mentioned.

The documentary was filmed some eight years after commencing this series work, and since that time, the artworks continued to evolve over a further 10 years of research and creative exploration. The completed exhibition has taken more than 18 years to complete and has since been re-titled as Brushstrokes of History.

It is also worth noting that this exhibition already has a full logistics sponsorship from IAS (International Art Services) who have offered to crate and freight this exhibition anywhere in Australia for as long as it continues to tour.

Copies of the fully illustrated book can be sent upon request.

Exhibition Video