New George Petrou exhibition honours those who serve

THE Bendigo Military Museum has welcomed its latest exhibition, The Art of Sacrifice – George Petrou OAM, which will remain on display in its state-of-the-art exhibition space until 18 January next year.

The Art of Sacrifice shares Petrou’s deeply personal tribute to Australia’s service personnel, born from his own battle with cancer.

During chemotherapy in 2010, he turned to large-scale portraiture for the first time as both a healing process and a mission to honour the courage, sacrifice and resilience of those who serve.

This exhibition features 20 portraits that blend history and lived experience, exploring the themes of valour and bravery while weaving the past and the present into a compelling narrative.

Partly created amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s both a creative act of resilience and a heartfelt gesture of national gratitude.

Petrou, who’s been running his own graphic design business in Melbourne for almost 50 years, said his main interest in the subject is through his enduring love of Australian history.

“World War One was a pretty significant part of that history,” he said.

“Having read lots of diaries of diggers and things, I found them quite confronting, and that really got to me.

“It got to me mainly because of being diagnosed with cancer, and there was a very strong chance I wasn’t going to survive.

“So I thought, if I do survive, I made a promise to myself that I would take up portraiture to try and (commemorate) these people that I admired.

“Obviously I survived the cancer, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”

The Art of Sacrifice – George Petrou OAM runs until Sunday 18 January at the Bendigo Military Museum in Pall Mall.

The Museum is open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm. Entry fees apply.