Refugee finds his home in art By CASEY NEILL Art helped Afghanistan-born Mehdi Jaghuri to find his feet in Australia. Now the Berwick resident, 23, is returning the favour through Connections Gallery in Dandenong. His father was one of the first asylum seekers to arrive in Australia by boat in 1998. Mehdi and the rest of the family followed in 2005. “I’ve got two younger brothers. My dad didn’t recognise them when he first saw them at the airport,” he said. And 12-year-old Mehdi didn’t recognise the new world he was to call home. He’d gone from candlelight to electricity, was confused to see people speaking from within the tiny box that is a television, and couldn’t comprehend 10 houses coming together in one unit block. “I had never seen a bathroom, I had never seen a shower,” he said. “When I came here I couldn’t really speak English at all. “This girl in my class did a painting of a dog and said ‘this is my dog’. That made me think differently. “I don’t have to speak - I can let my work speak. “That’s where I made a strong commitment to art.” He studied visual arts and fine arts at Monash University’s art, design and architecture (MADA) faculty. “When I finished my study I thought ‘there’d be a lot of other people out there like myself ’,” he said. “I wanted to give something back to the community for people from disadvantaged backgrounds or for any emerging artist.” With his MADA peers he established Connections Gallery in the Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre. “I want to find connections from all diverse
Mehdi Jaghuri with a dambora carved from rubbish in a refugee camp. 154023 Picture: GARY SISSONS
cultural backgrounds and try to connect one another,” he said. “There’s a lot of people out there who’ve a lot of talent and a story to tell, but they’re shy. “I’m there to lift them up.” The gallery hosts free workshops, and recently ran an eight-week course for Life Without Barriers.
“This Iranian woman came in and did a workshop with us,” Mehdi said. “She said ‘I found myself, finally. I had never had an opportunity in my country to pick up a brush. They never allowed me to paint. I’ve been through anxiety, torture, violence ... I feel so at peace, I feel so comfortable.’ “Art is a very powerful tool to use in anything.
The Connections Gallery 2016 Afghani Art Prize attracted entries from primary school students through to 40-somethings. Mehdi’s idea was to alternate exhibitions from touring artists with culture-specific art prizes. “At the end of the year, with the winner from each group we’d have a multicultural exhibition and that’s how we’d bring about connections."
What’s on first Sunday of the month until 21 June.
Talks on ... .Spirituality ELLIE Chatto will talk about a school at The Sacred Heart Church in Kyauktan, Myanmar, at the next Talks On ... Spirituality. ■ The Open Door, 110 Ann Street, Dandenong. Wednesday 25 May, 5.30pm to 6.30pm. A $5 donation is suggested. Places are limited. Call Trish or Jo on 9791 8664 to book.
Great Scot! THE free 14th annual Scottish Heritage Day will feature Clydesdale horses, Shetland, Welsh and Highland ponies, Scottish dogs, and Highland dancing. There’ll be a pipe band performance, the Australasian Guild of Town Criers will present calls, and there will be a kilt competition for visitors. ■ Greaves Reserve, Bennet Street, Dandenong. Sunday 29 May, 10am to 3pm. Visit www.dandyshow.com.au for more information.
Dinner with a VIEW DANDENONG Evening VIEW Club’s next dinner meeting will feature guest speaker Sue Halliwell from Polar Bears International. The Voice Interests and Education of Women (VIEW) clubs support The Smith Family’s Learning for Life program. New guests and members are welcome. ■ Dandenong RSL, 44-50 Clow Street, Dandenong. Tuesday 7 June, 7pm. Bookings are essential. Call 9795 1222.
National Reconciliation Week THE week celebrates and builds on respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. Uncle Kutcha Edwards will give a passionate talk and performance at this free event. - Dandenong Library, Level 2, 225 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong. Monday 30 May, 10.30am. Email leanne.pearson@cgd.via. gov.au for more information.
Short Cuts Film Festival THIS free event celebrates and supports the local film industry’s development and will include films from local community members, emerging artists and accomplished industry professionals. The show will be 120 minutes long with interval. ■ Drum Theatre, corner Lonsdale and Walker streets, Dandenong. Friday 3 June, 7.30pm. Call 8571 1666 for tickets or book online. A $1.10 booking fee per ticket applies online.
Rebel Without a Cause MONDAY Midday Movies will feature Rebel Without a Cause. New kid in town Jim Stark has to prove himself to his peers in switchblade knife fights and ‘chickie’ games in which cars race toward a seaside cliff. ■ Walker Street Gallery and Community Centre, corner Walker and Robinson streets, Dandenong. Sunday 5 June, noon. Tickets are $5 or $12 with a sandwich. Call 8571 1666 or visit www.greaterdandenong.com to book. 34 DANDENONG JOURNAL Monday, 23 May, 2016
Charlotte Fox competes in last year's Scottish Heritage Day kilt competition. 139703 Picture: ROB CAREW
Free English classes KEYSBOROUGH Learning Centre (KLC) is offering free English classes for asylum seekers, from beginners to level four. There are day and evening classes available. ■ KLC, 402 Corrigan Road, Keysborough. Call 9798 7005 or email info@klckeys.com.au.
Support for grieving children RAINBOWS grief and loss support is a small, non-denominational for children to deal with loss and/or crisis. A qualified, experienced counsellor is available for parents to discuss their children’s concerns. - Keysborough Learning Centre, 402 Corrigan Road, Keysborough. $2 per session. Call 9798 7005 or visit ww.rainbows.org.au for more information.
Elvis is in the building GLENDA Chin-Valetic will put on an Elvis tribute show in memory of her Elvis-loving mum, who passed away last June. Pete Storm is an award-winning tribute artist from the UK. The Legends Tribute Band and Rick Charles will provide back-up. ■ Freccia Azzurra Club, Keysborough. Saturday 15 October, 6pm. Tickets are $75 for
dinner and reserved seating and $45 for the show only. Visit trybooking.com/171790 to book. Call Glenda on 0411 958 594 with any inquiries.
Food swap THE Keysborough Res School Community Swap meets on the fourth Saturday of the month. Members swap home-grown produce, jams, preserves, baked goodies, seedlings, seeds, cuttings, eggs, books, tools and more. ■ Keysborough Resurrection School’s productive gardens, next to Keysborough Freedom Club. Enter via the driveway next to the retirement village at 414-418 Corrigan Road, Keysborough. Saturday 28 May, 10am to 11am. BYO mug for a free cuppa.
Creators’ Exhibition LEARN about some of the creative people who have made the Greater Dandenong region a great place to be. From art to architecture, to work in industry, this free display tells the stories of creators through the decades. ■ Heritage Hill Museum and Historic Gardens, 66 McCrae Street, Dandenong. 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday, noon to 4pm on the
Suresh Jeanel exhibition LOCAL artist Suresh Jeanel creates calligraphic images that hover between an alphabetic letter and a doodle. ■ Heritage Hill Museum and Historical Gardens, 66 McCrae Street, Dandenong. Until 31 May, Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. Call 9793 4511.
Glass and china exhibition THIS year’s National Trust Heritage Festival theme is Discovery and Rediscoveries. At the exhibition, guests will discover glass and china from the City of Greater Dandenong’s civic collection. ■ Benga House, Heritage Hill Museum and Historical Gardens, 66 McCrae Street, Dandenong. Until 24 June. Open to the public Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm and on the first Sunday of the month, noon to 4pm. Call 9793 4511 for more information.
Combined Probus NOBLE Park’s Combined Probus Club meets on the first Monday of the month. The not-for-profit club is for retired people over the age of 55. Members participate in events and activities including outings, coffee mornings, cinema trips and more. ■ Club Noble, Moodemere Street, Noble Park. Monday 2 May, 10am. Call Lesley Jarutis on 9546 2346 for more information.
Alex Wilkie Nature Reserve DISCOVER the natural beauty of Alex Wilkie Nature Reserve at open days held every Friday and the third Sunday of the month. Take a picnic and wander the grounds to view a variety of flora and fauna. Park rangers are available for guided tours. ■ Alex Wilkie Nature Reserve, Mackay Street, Springvale South.
Family fun at the library PLAYING with Lego, chess, puzzles and games together can improve literacy, numeracy, spatial awareness, socially appropriate behaviour and fair play. A parent or carer must accompany children to this free activity. Sessions are not held during school or public holidays. ■ Springvale Library, 411 Springvale Road, Springvale. Saturdays, 11am to noon. Dandenong Library, 225 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong. Fridays, 4pm to 5pm. Call 1300 630 920 for more information.