A love of drawing has resulted in a lifetime of storytelling through art
From the age of five, Clive Collender, has been drawing pictures which tell the story of the places, people and animals that have been part of his life.
Clive is one of three sons born to English parents, the family moving to South Africa in the 1960s where Clive’s father, Fred, a world renowned geologist, worked for a number of mining companies.
Clive and his brother, Ian, were both born with hearing and sight impairments and from the age of 4 and 4 ½ years-of-age they attended a specialist boarding school in Cape Town which supported children with disability.
It was at Boarding School that he commenced his lifetime of art, inspired by letters sent to him by his father. As the brothers couldn’t read, Fred would draw pictures which told the story of what their older brother, Richard, their mother, Ellie, and he were doing. Clive would then respond with his own letters filled with drawings.
The family returned to England in 1976, where Fred continued to work until he retired, and then relocated to Perth in 1988. Ian and Clive continued to live with their parents. After their parents passed away, they were able to remain in the family home until 2014, with the dedicated support of Richard and Ellie. However, even with this support, the family decided to seek an alternative living arrangement due to Ian’s diminishing sight.
After researching the most suitable place for Clive and Ian to live, Richard was very relieved to find Identitywa could offer the best outcome and the brothers moved into Identitywa’s Dymchurch St house where they share with three others.
The appreciation for Clive’s art, and his profile as an artist, have escalated over the past few years to a level which has seen him featured in exhibitions locally, around Australia, and internationally.
“He currently has work on display in Rotterdam as part of an exhibition by the Melbourne based The Museum of Everything, and he is featured in the exhibition, A Dot on the Run 2016, being held at the Port Hedland Courthouse,” shares Richard
Each week Clive goes with his Identitywa support worker to his art lessons at DADAA’s studios in Fremantle and Midland and also CATA in Warwick . Whilst Clive has had his work exhibited at local exhibitions via CATA, it was through DADAA that The Museum of Everything became very interested in his work which led to them purchasing 100 of his drawings and exhibiting his art in Melbourne and Rotterdam.
“We were also particularly thrilled when he had an entire wall featuring his art at an exhibition at The University of Western Australia in 2014,” said Richard.
Richard visits Ian and Clive three times a week at Dymchurch. During his visit he communicates with them via Tactile Finger Spelling and by writing notes on a pad; even though Ian can no longer see, he still writes. Ian and Clive regularly join Richard and his family when they holiday together. The family’s commitment to the brothers living the best life they can is truly inspirational.
To find out more about Clive’s art, please contact his brother, Richard, on 9447 6577.
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