Context (CMS Context)
'Artist statement:
“My name is Simon Gende. I was born on the 17th of September, 1969. I was born in the village called Gere in the Gembogl district, Simbu province, Papua New Guinea. My Language is Kuman. I am married with three (3) wives and twelve (12) children and have 24 pigs and also I’m a village leader.

I start doing painting in 1989. I don’t get any training but I just paint on what I think. Most of my ideas I get from famous late Matias Kauage founder of the contemporary arts in PNG.

In PNG we don’t have any gallery only one in Port Moresby but I live in the village so I sell my paintings during show events, sometimes when tourist boat comes to Madang and Lae and most of my time in front of Bird of Paradise Hotel in Goroka.

In PNG it is expensive to buy canvas so I just use other cloth materials. I don’t have special brushes I just buy them from the school supplies shop and when they are old I throw them away.

Most of my paintings are about big new stories in the world because most of people like to buy them because they want to keep the stories of what they heard over the news. It’s something like keeping history on the painting.

Hope you get me clear.” '
Information taken from: http://damienmintongallery.com.au/artists/paigatasa-bilums [6 April 2016].


'Gende’s images are contemporary history paintings, diverging radically from the traditional canon yet remaining independent from the overriding political views of a governing body. They reflect the history of now – newspapers of a kind, recording the key global news stories as they occur. Yet, for Gende these events are remote and are thus distilled and digested using a local lexicon that brings them closer to home. His paintings underline the vastness of the world and of contemporary experience, while also reinforcing just how small the world has become.'
Information taken from: dhg.anu.edu.au/simon-gende-history-painter/ [6 april 2016]. See also for additional information.

Event Date 6/4/2016
Author: Remke Velden

Context (CMS Context)
Part of a group of paintings (2016.3-2016.6) commissioned by Dr Anthony Pickles. Purchased with a grant from the Crowther-Beynon Fund. The collection process includes two interviews with the artist.
Event Date 6/4/2016
Author: Remke Velden

Description (CMS Description)
Large multi-coloured acrylic painting on canvas by Simon Gende titled: 'The EU's €86 Billion Bailout from Greece'.
Event Date 6/4/2016
Author: Remke Velden